- Title: Putting off check-up over virus fear? Try the self-service doctor's office
- Date: 29th April 2020
- Summary: MENNECY, FRANCE (APRIL 28, 2020) (REUTERS) 47 YEAR-OLD PATIENT AND MEMBER OF THE MENNECY TOWN COUNCIL, DORA ANABI, ENTERING "CONSULTSTATION" CABIN ANNABI TAKING SEAT IN CABIN GENERAL PHYSICIAN, DR. CELESTIN GUILLOUET, ON SCREEN SAYING HELLO TO ANNABI GUILLOUET AND ANNABI TALKING TO EACH OTHER SIGN FOR "CONSULSTATION" CABIN MEDICAL EQUIPMENT INSIDE CABIN ANNABI TAKING STETHOSCOPE ANNABI USING STETHOSCOPE ANNABI USING CAMERA TO SEE INSIDE THROAT GUILLOUET TALKING/ INSERTED SCREEN SHOWING INSIDE OF ANNABI'S THROAT (SOUNDBITE) (French) 47 YEAR-OLD PATIENT AND MEMBER OF THE MENNECY TOWN COUNCIL, DORA ANNABI, SAYING: "The first time I used this cabin I didn't know at all how it worked, how to use the equipment but the doctor can remotely guide us really well and he helps us on how to use the equipment, they've all got numbers so it's quite easy to use." CAMERA VARIOUS OF ANNABI TAKING HER TEMPERATURE SCREEN WHERE ANNABI INDICATES LEVEL OF PAIN ON A SCALE, TO INFORM DOCTOR (SOUNDBITE) (French) GENERAL PHYSICIAN, DOCTOR CELESTIN GUILLOUET, SAYING: "I honestly think that they (the patients) are generally quite relaxed about it, they are curious about this they want to find out about it, they look at the instruments and discover them, there's a bit of a fun side to it, they like to test the equipment and use it. But this also has a great benefit for us because this allows the patient to be an active player in his own health. By giving him the possibility to touch the tools, to see how you take blood pressure, the temperature, look at his own throat and look around, the patient takes more control of his health and I think that's important in treating patients, that they are involved in how their health situation progresses." CONSULTATION TAKING PLACE (SOUNDBITE) (French) GENERAL PRACTITIONER, DOCTOR CELESTIN GUILLOUET, SAYING: "I stress the fact that this will never replace a general physician. The GP will always have an important role physically to follow and examine a patient. Our hands are very important in a general physician's practice, it's very important in a clinical examination, something that you can't do at all with this type of cabin or any other tool today. You do start to see ultrasound probes which are used remotely, it's quite incredible what we can do, but I see this more like a third arm for the GP. We'll use this tool to fill in some of the gaps in our health system." EXTEROR OF MENNECY TOWN HALL WITH CHURCH LOCAL RESIDENTS WALKING IN STREET VARIOUS OF TOWN HALL WITH FRENCH AND EUROPEAN FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (French) MAYOR OF MENNECY, JEAN-PHILIPPE DUGOIN-CLEMENT, SAYING: "A lot of patients are scared at the moment to go inside classical doctor's clinics, and some doctors have also slowed down their practice. So because of the complicated situation, we made the most out of this new way of getting health care by launching it sooner than we had initially thought." ANNABI LISTENING TO DOCTOR ANNABI PUTTING ON EQUIPMENT TO MONITOR BLOOD OXYGEN SATURATION LEVELS DOCTOR ON SCREEN STAINS, FRANCE (APRIL 20, 2020) (REUTERS) PATIENT ON HOSPITAL BED
- Embargoed: 13th May 2020 14:29
- Keywords: COVID-19 Consultstation coronavirus doctors h4d medicalized cabin patients
- Location: MENNECY, STAINS AND PARIS, FRANCE
- City: MENNECY, STAINS AND PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CBJOTVR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: For anyone putting off visiting their doctor because they fear picking up the COVID-19 infection while in the waiting room, a French inventor has a solution: an automated miniature doctor's clinic.
The patient goes inside a cabin the size of a large wardrobe, sits down, and talks to a real-life doctor over a video link while using sensors inside the cabin to take their own temperature, or check their blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, and heart rate.
An automated video tutorial talks the patient through how to measure their vital signs so by the time they see a doctor in the flesh, that part of the procedure has already been completed, said Franck Baudino, a doctor and chief executive of H4D, who created the device.
Celestin Guillouet is a doctor in general practice who this week was providing video consultations to people using the cabin in an annex of the mayor's office in Mennecy, a town about 40 km (25 miles) south of Paris, on the banks of the Essonne river.
"Generally people are fairly comfortable with it. They all look at it with some curiosity," he said. But he added: "I don't think we will ever replace the general practitioner."
The set-up has been on the market for the past three years but has seen a surge of interest since the new coronavirus outbreak, according to H4D.
Mennecy mayor, Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clement, said plans to install the device were brought forward when the coronavirus outbreak hit France. As of Tuesday (April 28), official data shows that 23,660 people have so far died from conditions linked to the virus.
"A lot of patients are frightened right now of going into a classical doctor's clinic, and some doctors have slowed down their practice," said Dugoin-Clement.
Virtual medical consultations, conducted over a smartphone app or a computer screen, have also seen an increase in use since the outbreak.
The automated cabin takes that a step further by providing clinical-standard measurements of a patient's vital signs that are transmitted in real-time to the doctor at the other end of the video link.
The cabin, at the end of the consultation, also prints out for the patient a summary of their measurements.
Baudino said some of the cabins have been installed in French hospitals receiving walk-in patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
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