[Maria]

Hi all, from a social point of view, a traffic light is basically a good means of calming people down. However, if it is orange, yellow or red now, it is not really clear what I have to do as a mother or as an older person. And there is still no clear assistance here, which could cause unrest in the population.

[Maria]

Hi,

I just came across the information about a high-tech helmet with smart glasses used by the police in the fight against Corona. The helmet is already used in Italy and Dubai. Police authorities in the Netherlands had also ordered the smart helmet for testing purposes.

The central function of the high-tech helmet is the temperature measurement of passers-by at a distance of approximately 2 meters. The aim is to find people who have high body temperature and may be infected with COVID-19. The helmet is equipped with an ARM processor, an augmented reality display in the field of view, an infrared camera and a conventional video camera. According to the manufacturer, the wearer of the helmet is shown the body temperature of passers-by with an accuracy of 0.3 degrees

[Maria]

Dear EMS Members,

I agree with the numerous benefits derived from the application of VR in the training of EMS practitioners. However one needs also to consider the disadvantages of this technology.

The special needs of the patients are often insufficiently taken into account. It has so far hardly been investigated how VR affects cognitively and emotionally different people. There are some main risks when using VR in medicine. For example the VR application changes the behavior of the user and jeopardizes his or her autonomous decision-making. The user also can build emotional ties to virtual characters and accepts them as supposedly real people. This could result in a social withdrawal from the real world.

Therefore it is important to involve patients in the development of therapeutic systems at an early stage and to move away from developer-driven to patient-driven innovations.

[Maria]

One concrete  area of ​​application where VR makes a huge contribution is the training and further education of surgeons in emergency care which is the case of a  hospital in Los Angeles. In a VR experience, doctors can simulate emergency scenarios in a virtual environment and realistically prepare for emergencies. Before introducing the Oculus Rift form of training, the American hospital used expensive and time-consuming dolls that were often damaged. More than $ 430,000 was spent on it each year.

[Maria]

Interesting points! 

You mentioned that countries were insufficiently prepared (despite the existence of pandemic plans) – but of course, the situation in a global epidemic is different from the regular case. However, the question remains whether we have learned from this – it seems quite possible that a second wave will follow. 

Do you have the feeling that this has already been thought about, or is now being thought about in terms of stockpiles?

[Maria]

With wireless access to files with the swipe of a finger and blink of an eye, the incident commander views maps that include hydrant locations and floor plans of specific occupancies while responding to a reported structure fire.

The use of smart glasses in EMS proves more a real lifesaver by giving EMTs and paramedics cues on protocols and algorithms in real time while engaged with patients. This reduces the likelihood of mistakes with medication dosages or complicated procedures that are not performed on a regular basis.

The integrated camera serves as an effective method of sharing the scene of an accident with medical control physicians or even provides the ability for doctors to evaluate a patient who may be having a stroke.