Smart Glasses definitely have a constant stream of criticism and negativity flowing towards them, but they are doing some amazing things despite the hate. Even the people who absolutely hate the idea of smart glasses have to give them a nod when it comes to how useful they are in the healthcare industry. Almost everyone, even the haters, acknowledge how useful smart glasses can be when you got your hands-full.

I’ve covered a lot of things about smart glasses and talked about a lot of their uses, but I have yet to cover how they are being used in the healthcare industry. So, that’s what I’m going to do today. In this post, I’m going to go over some of the cool ways that smart glasses are being used in the healthcare industry. I hope you enjoy!

Mobile Access to Patient Information

There are actually a few companies working on getting applications on smart glasses that would allow doctors, surgeons, and nurses access to patient information while on the go.

One of the latest companies to announce an application like this was OneDx. One Dx is a software platform and application for Google Glass that helps physicians access medical records, medical reports, inpatient locations and exam information. Besides being able to access information, docs can download studies, reports, and exams onto Google Glass for reference.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston is currently testing their own little application that is similar to OneDx. Basically, doctors working at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston can scan a QR code on a wall and have patient information displayed right on their Google Glass.

Pretty cool stuff. And, I imagine more and more doctors will begin accessing patient information from smart glasses as they become less expensive.

Filling In Patient Records

Besides companies creating applications that would allow doctors to access patient records on the go, there are also a few companies working on applications that will allow doctors to fill in patient records while on the go, or while talking to the patient.

Augmedix is creating an application for Google Glass that will allow doctors to easily input information into an electronic version of a patient’s health record. Augmedix isn’t the only company creating applications like this either.

DrChrono is another company that has created an application for Google Glass that allows doctors to fill in patient records, take notes, record video, take pictures and a whole bunch of other stuff while talking to a patient. Drchrono already has about 60,000 physicians that use their electronic medical record platform on devices like the iPad, and the smart phone. So, I imagine there are a few physicians out there who are using this application on Google Glass.

There are very few hospitals and doctors out there who are using smart glasses for stuff like this, but I imagine that’s mostly due to the cost of the device. Once smart glasses are less expensive and more accepted, I imagine more doctors will pick them up to replace the tablet or other mobile devices that they currently use for filling out electronic records.

Smart Glasses for Streaming to Students

Smart glasses can do a lot more than assist doctors and surgeons with simple tasks like accessing and filling out documents. They can also be used to teach the people who are looking to become professional healthcare providers.

Almost all smart glasses come with a camera, and can be used to stream content across the world. There are many instances where point-of-view footage can be incredibly handy when teaching up-and-coming healthcare providers something important, especially when it comes to surgeries. With streams and videos recorded from smart glasses, every student gets an equal view of a procedure and doesn’t miss out on anything. Plus, they get to see every move the person performing the procedure makes.

Many surgeons have already used Google Glass to stream content to the people they are trying to teach. One of the most notable instances of this type of usage was when Shafi Ahmed used Google Glass to stream an operation to over 13,000 students that were located in 155 completely different countries.

Pretty incredible. Overall, smart glasses can be a pretty handy tool for teaching students who are looking to work in the healthcare industry.

Real-time Consulting

Even the most skilled doctors and surgeons get caught up and confused occasionally. Like everyone, doctors and surgeons need a second opinion from a colleague occasionally. Smart glasses can be incredibly handy for this, because healthcare providers can easily use them to take videos and pictures and send them to someone for a second opinion without stopping what they are doing.

Not only can people use them to send pictures and videos to other people for second opinions, but like I mentioned above, they can also use them to stream content to another person so there’s always help available.

Rhode Island Hospital is currently doing this with ER patients who are suffering from skin conditions. For the next six-months, the hospital is using Google Glass to send images of skin conditions to specialists when they need second opinions.

Emergency Services

Only recently have emergency services started to take advantage of smart glasses. There is a very small selection of apps available for ambulances, so I think that’s why many ambulances and emergency services haven’t been taking advantage of them. With that being said, recently there’s been a lot of news surrounding smart glasses and ambulances.

There are a couple of companies out there who are working on turning Google Glass into a useful device for ambulances. MedEx, a company that provides ambulance services in the Chicago area, has begun to test and use the device to transmit audio and video to emergency room doctors so they are prepared when the ambulance shows up. MedEx aren’t the only guys tinkering with smart glasses and Google Glass when it comes to ambulances.

Open Frame LLC has created an application for Google Glass called NitroPCR. It’s an application that helps emergency service providers view complaint information (why emergency services were called), location information, and dispatch notes. The Google Glass version of the application can also be used to get directions to complaint locations and to update whether the ambulance is enroute or not yet.

It’s pretty easy to imagine how applications like this can be incredibly useful. Smart glasses can easily help with response times and the quality of care that is given by emergency services.

Conclusion

So, those are some of the ways that smart glasses are being used in the healthcare industry. Overall, smart glasses can be incredibly useful in all sections of life. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post and if you did, then make sure to spread it around and share some love!