Technology Awards 2019

8 GHP / Technology Awards 2019 , Nov19432 Most Innovative Intensive Care Provider – Japan & Distinction Award for Cutting-Edge Hospital Communication 2019 The need to innovate inmedical care has become increasingly important in the industry. A decreasing number of medical professionals face the challenge of providing high standards of care to an aging population. The work of T-ICU Co., Ltd is part of this revolution, using the lat- est in technology to provide experts in the places that need themmost. As the team celebrate their extraordinary win, we profile the business to find out more. Japanese hospitals are facing a crisis. As only 30% are able to provide an ICU specialist, with only 1671 intensivists in the country, there is not only a need to find a solution that meets patients’ needs but takes the burden from overworked and stressed doctors and nurses. The approach of T-ICU is one of a remote medical service, supporting hospitals by providing specialists support and advice based on vital signs and test results from the hospital. T-ICU is easy to access, simple to use and above all, affordable for even the smallest of hospitals. With no specialist resources needed, hospitals can use existing networks, the patient’s monitoring PC can be connected with an HDMI cable to a PC provided by T-ICU. Thanks to screensharing and data transfer, doctors and nurses will be able to consult the ICU specialists of T-ICU through video conferences. With multiple specialists on call, sourced from the most renowned hospitals in Japan, services include a medical consultation through the sharing of information and a proposed regular treatment policy to the attending physician. With the ability to find out more about treatment and conditions, this swift and effective method of working ensures premium care for those who need it at short notice. This innovative new system is specifically designed to remove the strain from hospitals in the most cost-effective way. In Japan, a competitor’s approach – based at Showa University – provided Tele-ICU service in addition to T-ICU. This allowed monitoring of ICU patients any time the service provider wanted, increasing the setup and service costs. As T-ICU only provides services at a hospital’s request, the service cost is not only relatively low, but affordable for mid-level hospitals. This exciting new approach is one that can only undergo rapid expansion. As an aging population in North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America becomes more susceptible to chronic diseases, this remote support will become more and more significant in the medical world. In Japan, a conservative society by nature, the team found gaining acceptance from doctors’ societies a particular challenge, but the success of the system in practice has allowed hospitals that were initially unreceptive to start using the new technology. The approach of the T-ICU team is one of constant improvement in every respect. This means not only is it committed to making better products, but employees are encouraged to attend academic conferences and medical tech fairs to better understand the trends of the industry. This allows the team to ensure that its services are benchmarked against competitors utilizing the latest in innovation. As healthcare technology continues to evolve, T-ICU is committed to improving its own services to match, ensuring its advanced medical treatments remain at the cutting- edge of the market. Looking forward, T-ICU is exploring the possibility of moving towards the DaaS system, ensuring secure access from anywhere, anytime, reducing costs through better resource liberalization. The company also aims to support more hospitals in remote areas outside of Japan which are struggling with critical patients that do not have intensive care. The possibility of expanding services to developing countries is one which the company can see a great deal of potential in. Utilizing the official development assistance of the government of Japan, T-ICU is going to conduct a feasibility study of such a collaboration in South Asia and Africa. Technology has an important part to play in every aspect of life, and T-ICU have found an innovative way of approaching healthcare that makes the most of it. A remote system might seem distant to some, but T-ICU ensures a high standard of medical care with consultancy from a fine selection of doctors. T-ICU has proven itself eminently scalable, with its plans to expand into new territories showing a fraction of what it could be in years to come. Company: T-ICU CO., LTD. Contact: Dai Ogura Web Address: http://t-icu.co.jp