Lorenzo Ngwi Nicoleau and his team from Access-A-Doc want to do something impactful in the fight against COVID-19 and the effort to flatten the curve. Lorenzo is strong proponent for why telehealth services like Access-a-doc are essential for maintaining a working healthcare system in times like these.
Lorenzo answered some questions about Access-A-Doc and how it works.
Lorenzo, when was ‘Access-A-Doc’ founded and what was the primary motivation?
Access-A-Doc was founded in 2016, and recently mobilized our efforts in Huntsville Alabama amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Access-A-Doc mission is to assist and service the overcrowded hospitals, by the utilization of low-cost and efficien telecare tools Physicians can use to treat patients with severe cases without rescinding care given to those experiencing minimal symptoms.
How does your ‘Access-A-Doc’ work?
Acces-a-doc Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) kit is an inexpensive way to provide a continuous stream of data to the hospital staff and allows them to initiate a telemedicine encounter when and if staff deems it appropriate. After a patients’ initial hospital visit where physicians collect samples and conduct any testing, the RPM kits will be taken home by the patient. We suggest the kits to be positioned on the bedside table in the patient’s home which is designed to be easy navigated by any technological novice. The RPM dashboard of key indicators includes the patients’ temperature, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels with an algorithm to detect any abnormalities or developing adverse trends from its continuous data collection. The tablet also has an alert system to remind the patient at an appropriate interval to pick up the sensors and take their readings. It requires the use of local Wifi or an optional cellular data connection to immediately report the new data to the integrated cloud system, essentially updating the hospital without making a physical visit.
Who can benefit from telehealth?
Access-A-Doc current services and technology can benefit both physicians and patients in many segments of the healthcare industry by decreasing the gap between patients and providers to overcome any barriers in healthcare services challenged by Covid-19. It also serves as an opportunity for rural patients and specialized providers in medically underserved communities diminishing excessive costs and geographic barriers to healthcare. Telehealth, telecare and telemedicine is rapidly evolving, and is the key to successfully sustain innovative healthcare services.
What conditions can I get treated for via telehealth?
Telehealth services are not limited too but includes any follow-up visits, medical questions, lab and test results or any general questions in an intimate setting. It is great for patients experiencing Acne, Bladder infections, Insect Bites, Rashes, Stomach Pains, Allergies, Cough, Pink Eye, Seasonal Allergies, Urinary Tract Infections, Asthma, Diarrhea, Poison Ivy, Skin Inflammation, Vomiting to name a few. This is especially feasible for physicians with immobile patients and elderly patients to execute ongoing treatment.
How can the doctor diagnose me without actually doing a physical exam?
The combination of patients’ initial office visit, cloud data base and consistent patient readings using RPM kits allows physicians to appropriately assess whether another visit or exams are needed.
Physicians use the tablet’s video visit features to give their expertise to analyze the patients’ data and medical history to determine whether supplemental treatments are required, or the patient is improving or stabilized. Access-A-Doc services is designed to enhance treatment and quality of care in a sustainable way.
Can I get a prescription filled from the visit?
With telehealth services in all 50 states, you can have a visit and receive a potential prescription anywhere across the country. However, there are many medications that cannot be prescribed online, including controlled substances.
What equipment do I need to schedule an appointment with one of your doctors? How can I schedule my appointment?
The patient is instructed to open the Access-A-Doc RPM Kit. They will find a Pulsewave wrist cuff device, a bluetooth oximeter and a Bluetooth thermometer and an optional Bluetooth scale . The patient will also receive a Cloud Clinic Health Tablet. The tablet includes a high quality front facing camera used for telehealth visits. The Pulsewave app will open automatically and the bluetooth devices are already paired. Batteries are included. All the patient is instructed to do is power up the tablet, connect to Wifi- the patient is ready to login on to a HIPAA secure app and take their first reading and see your provider.
Thank you Lorenzo for your time!
You can follow up with Lorenzo Ngwi Nicoleau at www.accessadoc.com
