1. Highly Mobile Remote Presence Robotics in an Acute Care Setting Dan Roach III, MD Office of Emerging Health Technologies University of South Alabama

2. The Problem Critical Nursing Shortage. Increasing numbers of patients. Shortage of health care workers.

3. Technology Two parts. Care station. Robot.

4. Tech cont. – Care Station Standard desktop computer. Video camera. Microphone. Joystick. Keyboard & Mouse. High-speed internet connection.

6. Tech cont. – Robot (Companion) Metal chassis. Computer monitor on swiveling base. Video camera. Desktop computer inside. Wireless network adapter. Infrared sensors. Three ball wheels. Battery.

8. Tech cont. – Wireless network. Wireless access points (802.11b). Too much is better than not enough. Channel selection is important.

9. How does it work? Caregiver at care station drives the companion to patients. Highly mobile video conferencing. Movement limited only by wireless network. Video and audio codecs developed. 500 kb/sec is all that is needed.

11. Applications - Nursing General medicine floor. Find jobs that would increase nursing efficiency. Long term observation. Suicide risk. Altered mental status. Children.

13. Applications – Physicians Medical ICU. After hours admissions. Shorten length of stay in the ICU? Rounding. Resident check-out.

15. Results - Nurses Helped free a nurse when patient needed long term observation. Easy to use. Short learning curve. Enthusiastic. Ideas to improve robot for nursing uses. Eagerness & willingness to try it.

16. Results - Physicians Easy to use. Short learning curve. Ability to see patient from home helpful. Ability to view patient data helpful. Vent settings. ECG. Monitors.

17. Results - Patients Patients love it! Liked being seen by their physician more often. Feel special. Talking to a person, not a robot. Experience not always what is expected.