Revolution in emergency medicine: Telemedical cabin for crises!

Eine innovative telemedizinische Notfallkabine wird zur Verbesserung der Gesundheitsversorgung in Krisengebieten entwickelt.
An innovative telemedical emergency cabin is developed to improve health care in crisis areas. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

Revolution in emergency medicine: Telemedical cabin for crises!

This day, telemedicine has become a decisive instrument, especially in crisis situations. A newly developed concept, which is referred to as a telemedical emergency cabin, could make a significant contribution to improving basic medical care in disaster areas. This cabin is reminiscent of a Dixie toilet, but offers a number of advanced technical solutions.

The telemedical emergency cabin is equipped with solar cells that enable self -sufficient use of up to 48 hours. It also has a Starlink antenna that guarantees a stable internet connection. There is a screen and various medical devices within the cabin that enable patient care at a distance. It was originally planned to use old telephone booths for this project, but it was shown that toilet cabins were cheaper, faster and better transportable.

technical details and functionality

The structure of the cabin only takes a few hours. It is designed to connect patients during a consultation by video call. Before the conversation, however, patients have to answer specific questions in order to check their suitability. In addition, they are able to measure their vital values ​​such as temperature, blood pressure and EKG themselves, with appropriate devices being made available.

A doctor can then monitor the results and guide the patient. All measured values ​​are saved in a digital file, which is then transmitted to the doctor. If necessary, medication can even be transported to the cabin through drones. The prototype of this innovative cabin was already presented at a specialist congress for population protection and was very well received.

A field study in Büllingen is planned for a practical test to simulate everyday medical problems. In addition, a test insert from the cabin is carried out at the Parookaville Festival in Weeze. Future extensions of the technology could include functions such as an emergency button, a handicapped -friendly execution and digital recipes. The question remains whether these cabins are actually used in disaster areas, but the researchers are optimistic.

Advanced research on telemedicine

Another important research project is "Telesan" that examines the feasibility of telemedicine in civil protection. The aim is to ensure effective medical health care in crisis situations. Telemedicine enables access to medical care, regardless of spatial distance. The Telesan app, which was specially developed for this project, offers decisive functions to enable doctors and patients better communication.

The app supports, for example, in telephoto calls, provides guidelines for disaster medicine and ensures digital documentation of the treatment. The simulation of a civil protection scenario in which the system was presented took place on September 19, 2023. Here функциониert also as a guide for emergency services with different medical background and can help to fill the gaps in medical care.

The integration of telemedicine into dirty or contaminated areas is also possible because it can be used with special data glasses. The positive response from various studies on feasibility is promising. The research results are published in the series "Research in Population Protection".

For the success of such innovative approaches, close cooperation between the authorities, medical institutions and technology companies is necessary in order to develop clear guidelines and standards for telemedical care in crisis situations. The medical Task Force (MTF) is crucial because it represents a doctor -occupied, medical service department in civil protection.

In the discussion about the reimbursement of costs for telemedical services, experts such as Gernot Marx and Gaß complain that telemedical expertise can often not be billed, although this would make sense in acute treatment cases. Therefore, it is required to increase the flexibility in dealing with existing funds in order to expand telemedical care approaches.

Developments in telemedicine and their implementation in disaster protection have the potential to significantly improve medical care in emergencies and thus offer people more security in times of crisis. This vision could create realities that have a positive effect on our health systems.

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