Cisco Launches HealthPresence

At the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Atlanta today, Cisco announced the availability of the Cisco HealthPresence platform.

HealthPresence is an advanced, care-at-a-distance technology platform that allows patients to connect with doctors and clinicians.

Traditional telemedicine or telehealth approaches have focused mostly on the problem of physical access to medical care. Cisco HealthPresence addresses four additional key health care delivery challenges:

• Capacity (the scarcity and productivity of clinical expertise)
• Collaboration (one patient with many clinicians, many providers with many providers, and many patients with many patients)
• Information exchange (the ability of participants to share and view vital health information)
• Personalization (engaging patients in ways that make them more active participants in consults)

HealthPresence integrates two technology innovations: Cisco TelePresence and Cisco Unified Communications, utilizing high-definition (HD) video, clear audio and connected medical devices.

HealthPresence allows multiple members of a patient’s care team to simultaneously participate in consultations.

Cisco’s software offers highly secure encryption technology to protect the privacy and security of patient data exchanged in distance communications.

HealthPresence was piloted by the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG).

Cisco HealthPresence is planned to be available beginning March 2010 in markets across the United States, Canada and Europe. It is classified as a Class I medical device by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.