Otto, which was purchased through a grant to the hospital from the state’s Department of Health & Human Services, enables physicians from Mission Hospital in Asheville to communicate virtually with McDowell patients. Mission Hospital see more than 2,000 patient transfers a year, but remote access to Mission physicians through Otto allows patients to receive the care they need while staying closer to home, according to the news report.
Mission physicians control Otto through a joystick, maneuvering the robot through the hospital while communicating with McDowell patients. The display screen on Otto can also be adjusted so the physician-controller can view up, down and 360-degrees around the robot.
Read the news report about Otto at McDowell Hospital.
Read other coverage about robotics in healthcare:
– Vanderbilt Research Team Studies Robots in EDs
– UCSF Medical Center’s Robotic Pharmacy Aims to Improve Patient Safety
– Michigan’s Beaumont Hospital Conducts State’s First Robotic Heart Procedure
