It comes as no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic will have lasting impacts on healthcare systems worldwide. Seemingly overnight, healthcare delivery changed from in-person to digital, transforming the norm. Providers who had previously been slow to adopt virtual care models had to quickly scale up programs to reach patients and ensure the continuation of their clinics during a time of unprecedented change.

Given the ongoing challenges in healthcare due to the spread of the virus, many are working to transform the future of healthcare. The widespread adoption of telehealth by providers and patients alike demonstrates the utility and value of virtual care services. Now many are envisioning what the future of care looks like and the role of these technological innovations. Due to extraordinary market growth, many technology companies that previously had no healthcare experience are expanding their offerings to facilitate telehealth visits.

Zoom, the video conferencing system that was thrust to prominence during the pandemic, recently announced that they are expanding their services to include HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant telehealth visits to address clinical and administrative patient engagement needs more comprehensively. According to the company, the new healthcare offering is a “cost-effective solution to meet the dynamic needs of healthcare organizations” and includes telehealth, collaborative healthcare, medication education, and population-based care services.

This new offering provides clinics and hospital systems another opportunity to integrate and quickly scale their telehealth services.

How Hippo Virtual Care can augment videoconferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Cisco’s Webex

Zoom’s move to expand its videoconferencing technology is a boon to healthcare as the industry weaves telehealth services into their expanding virtual care and virtual medical education programs. However, HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing alone is falling short of current provider and patient needs. This is where Hippo Technologies’ Hippo Virtual Care (HVC) platform comes in.

By integrating seamlessly with the latest in voice-activated wearable computing and smart glasses, HVC can offer a “through the eyes of the clinician” viewpoint, in a way that traditional mobile devices cannot. The heads-up display and hands-free capability allow clinicians to “practice medicine as we were trained,” according to Dr. Pat Quinlan, Hippo Technologies’ CEO. “Hippo enables an advanced virtual care experience across healthcare systems and the regions they serve, whether its within hospitals to remote clinics and people living in underserved areas around the world.”

HVC makes it possible for clinicians to instruct and proctor physician extenders remotely, addressing the increasing shortage of specialist care particularly in rural areas. It also allows healthcare organizations to make the most of emerging telehealth services such as those offered by Zoom or Teladoc.

With cybersecurity a burgeoning issue in the world of telehealth, HVC offers the comfort of military-grade compliance and data security, with Authority to Operate in the Department of Defense. “Our intuitive, cloud-based workflow engine is optimized for clinical workflow and collaboration, as well as remote device integration,” according to Dr. Quinlan. In addition to live video streaming, Hippo’s platform also has a local library of medical content and videos for real-time access to care information, best practices and clinical decision support tools.

Even with the expansion of virtual care, many technologies and platforms still lack integrations for specialty physicians, who have been largely ignored in the telehealth market thus far. Hippo’s technology was designed to fit a wide variety of medical use cases, from tele-stroke to anesthesia, while still providing optimal utility for each specialty. From the hospital to the field, and classrooms to patient homes, Hippo brings new dimensions to telehealth, delivering faster care, smarter decision making and more collaborative working among healthcare professionals.

Integrations to expand the reach of virtual care

Hippo’s open API platform allows for a range of third-party integrations, including integrating Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Cisco’s Webex. “Our system is ready to scale and can provide clinics and healthcare providers rapid and deep penetration into the medical sector when paired with the capabilities and market presence of platforms like Zoom,” stated Dr. Quinlan. Along with Zoom, Hippo has a recognized presence in the international market with many pilot programs, point-of-care providers, and marquee clients.

Combined with Zoom’s easily accessible video platform, our wearable technology and head-mounted displays can help providers expand their virtual care offerings beyond simple video calls to incorporate medical education, device training and troubleshooting, and more collaborative patient care.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies instigated work from home policies, quickly expanding the public’s familiarity with videoconferencing platforms, such as Zoom. Integrating Hippo’s Virtual Care platform with Zoom can help healthcare providers capitalize on this awareness, allowing medical students and patients to access telehealth visits from a familiar service while delivering expanded utility for providers.

The future of healthcare is digital, and scalable technology solutions such as Hippo and Zoom can help us continue on the path towards patient-centered care.