PTZ camera technology is revolutionizing the healthcare industry with the ability to connect physicians and clinicians in ways that were never possible before. Colleagues can now collaborate together, and long-distance diagnoses improve patient care. There are many reasons to incorporate PTZ cameras into your healthcare practice.
Advantages of Using PTZ Cameras for Remote Patient Care
Remote patient care is in high demand as the world’s population continues to age and people gravitate towards virtual healthcare. The benefits of PTZ cameras in telehealth include:
Visuals: Diagnosing a patient remotely has long been a problem because healthcare professionals are unable to zoom in on rashes, swelling and other physical signs that something is wrong with a person. With a pan tilt zoom webcam, medical professionals can perform in-depth diagnosis in a virtual setting with far more accuracy.
Monitoring: Patient conditions can rapidly change. For patients that must be monitored due to serious illness, disease or even after surgery, it’s possible for a physician to monitor and respond to the patient’s needs faster.
Reduce Staffing Needs: Hospitals and doctor’s offices are often short-staffed, resulting in patients waiting a long time to be seen for an initial appointment. Doctors can do more with PTZ cameras, examine more patients and even help fill in for in-person doctors who may be out of the office or on an emergency call.
Healthcare costs are also lower for both facilities and patients when PTZ cameras are used in diagnoses.
Choosing the Right PTZ Camera for Your Healthcare Needs
PTZ camera technology offers solutions for small- and large-sized healthcare facilities. Streaming in 4K allows physicians to examine patients with near in-person accuracy. However, you must choose a camera that has the right features and specs necessary for medical settings.
The following are a few things to consider when trying to choose the right camera for your needs:
- Resolution: Streaming in high resolution is crucial in the medical industry. It’s important for you to choose a camera with 4K or higher streaming so that you can expect clear visuals of the patient. The standard definition simply does not meet the high standards necessary for proper healthcare recommendations.
- Zoom: Zooming in on an area of the body must be done with a high degree of accuracy. The higher the zoom, the better. Top-of-the-line cameras come with up to 30x zoom to allow healthcare professionals to examine patient conditions better. Lossless zoom is ideal.
- Compatible Apps: What apps are you using to connect with patients? Your camera must be fully compatible with the apps that you use, whether that’s Zoom, Skype, Teams – or something else.
- Outputs: How many outputs are available? In clinics, multiple cameras may be added to allow for full 360-degree diagnosing. If you plan on having multi-camera setups, be sure that the camera chosen can meet your needs.
You’ll also want to examine the output options, such as SDI, HDMI, USB-C or NDI.
Setting Up Your PTZ Camera for Telehealth
Camera setup in telehealth will depend on where the camera is located. If the patient goes to the clinic and the doctor is remote, they’ll take care of the setup process. Otherwise, in a direct patient-to-doctor scenario, it’s best to have a PTZ webcam that allows the physician to adjust.
Remote adjustments will allow the physician to change camera angles or zoom in on specific areas of the body.
Clinical setups will require:
- One or more PTZ cameras
- Controllers
- Network switches
- NVR for recording storage
The setup is fairly straightforward and will allow doctors and/or patients to adjust the camera for the best possible viewing angle. Adjustments may be made by the patient or medical staff if a special angle or view is required.
Best Practices for PTZ Camera Usage in Healthcare
In healthcare, a proper setup will allow patients to have doctors and specialists review their current health condition remotely. Usage requires the proper setup and best practices to help improve outcomes.
A few best practice tips include:
- Add overhead lighting to allow for a clear view when examining patients
- Remove any distractions from the space
- Control panels should allow doctors to control the camera in the room
If the camera is mounted to a cart, like in many clinical settings, it will make it even easier for clinics to connect with physicians. Patients can come into the clinic, sit down and allow the nurse or other practitioner to handle the control of the camera.
Many mounted solutions have adjustable steering handles and heights to ensure a clear view of the diagnosing area.
In Conclusion
Telehealth is transforming the way people receive the healthcare that they need. From anywhere in the world, it’s possible for you to see world-class doctors in a virtual setting for everything from a swollen foot to a routine checkup or serious diagnosis.
With the perks of rapid, affordable care, it only makes sense to begin using PTZ cameras to enhance healthcare and outcomes.