|
 To meet the growing demand for Google Glass from physicians,
Drchrono, a Mountain View, Calif., based electronic medical record
company has developed a new application for the device it claims is
the first "wearable health record."
Doctors who register for the Drchrono app for Glass can use it to
record a consultation or surgery with the patient's permission.
Videos, photos and notes are stored in the patient's electronic
medical record or in Box, a cloud-based storage and collaboration
service and can be shared with the patient on request.
Dr. Bill J. Metaxas, a podiatrist based in San Francisco, warned
fellow physicians to take precautions before using Glass, such as
obtaining patient consent and "locking down security settings." He
also said Glass is no more or less secure than tablet devices such
as the iPad, which are routinely used in clinical practices.
Metaxas, who uses Glass in the operating room and in patient
consultations, said 99 percent of his patients agree to the gadget,
but it is still early days and most of his fellow physicians have
yet to adopt the technology. It is primarily used by the "bleeding
edge" minority, he added.
Still, Box spokeswoman and former Google Health employee Missy
Krasner said she is aware of at least 20 venture-backed startups
catering to this niche of physicians. The majority of these Glass
apps, including Augmedix and Pristine, are complying with federal
regulation that protects privacy, known as HIPAA.
To develop the service, Drchrono worked closely with Box, one of its
early investors, and the Google Glass team.
Google Glass was intended for the consumer mass market, but it has
been criticized by some for its geeky appearance. But many industry
professionals immediately saw value in the hands-free gadget.
[to top of second column] |
The Glass team hosted an event last month at its San Francisco
offices for care providers, hospitals administrators and
medical-tech entrepreneurs to discuss how to bring these wearable
computers into practices.
"Google is still in the early-stages of determining the most viable
use-cases for Google Glass," said Drchrono co-founder Daniel
Kivatinos. "But some doctors are demanding Glass, so Google is
providing resources and support to developers."
Drchrono claims to have 60,000 registered physicians using its
electronic medical record for doctors and patients. More than 300 of
these physicians have already opted to use the app, Kivatinos said.
The app is currently available for free, but the company may charge
a fee in the near future.
Google could not be reached for comment.
(Reporting By Christina Farr. Editing by Andre Grenon)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright
2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
