Telehealth, telemedicine, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) made great strides in the past few years. We’ve covered about a wide range of telemedicine applications including Philips and Toothpic’s telehealth dental selfies, Current Health’s AI-enabled RPM program, and HD Medical Group’s HealthyU RPM vital sign monitoring device.
Belfast, Northern Ireland-based Kraydel‘s Konnect video calling system is a subscription telehealth service that connects to the user’s TV. Kraydel designed Konnect to help isolated older people, including patients with dementia, stay in touch with families and care teams. With Konnect, users also can access medical calendars and schedules and receive alerts.
Konnect includes three pieces of hardware: hub, processing unit, and remote control. The hub has a camera for video calls and mounts on the top of the user’s TV. A separate processing unit connects the TV to the hub via an HDMI cable. The user operates the system with the remote control. The remote control has just four buttons s the user can navigate the Konnect interface with simple yes or no responses. User notifications and reminders display on the TV screen. The user can also make and receive two-way video calls on the TV.
The hardware requires an internet connection via a home Wi-Fi network or a mobile hotspot. The Konnect hub senses movement, room temperature, light, and sound. According to Kraydel, the hub also can integrate with a wide range of Bluetooth-connected third-part sensor devices such as blood pressure monitors and activity trackers. In addition, Konnect works with a Bluetooth pulse oximeter and a non-contact thermometer to remotely monitor respiratory infection and fever associated with COVID-19.
A user, family member, or care provider can add an unlimited number of supporters to the user’s network via an iOS or Android app. Supporters can then view the user’s wellness data and create care schedule alerts, medication reminders, and doctors appointments.
In addition to Kraydel’s more general original purpose for the Konnect subscription, the company also cites the system’s role in coping with pandemic-related isolation. People who are quarantined with the Konnect system can still stay in touch with family and friends. Caregivers can also use the system for patient monitoring and consultations for people in isolation.
Telehealth doesn’t call for a single solution. Kraydel’s Konnect appears to be a versatile platform especially appropriate for populations that aren’t good candidates to use computer applications or mobile apps.
