Posted by Dave McKean
Dr. Daniel Cosgrove may understand better than most the importance of clear, reliable communications to telehealth. It’s one of the reasons he uses a Nureva® audio system at the WellMax Center for Preventive Medicine, of which he is the founder and medical director. Cosgrove’s special understanding of the requirements and best practices for telehealth comes from long experience in how it works and why it is important.
Located in Indian Wells, California, WellMax has been a leader in telehealth since their inception in 1997. Largely working outside insurance-funded medical systems, WellMax has had the freedom (and foresight) to offer their patients the convenience of telehealth consultations where other providers required on-site visits in order to be paid by insurers (whether private or public). Approximately 80% of WellMax patients avail themselves of the telehealth option.
The importance of telehealth
Dr. Cosgrove talks about the value of telehealth to his patients: “Our patients reside across the globe, often in multiple locations, and many of them are in demanding professions requiring a great deal of time and travel. Offering them telehealth means they have far greater access to care. And that’s more than just a matter of convenience for them. It can be lifesaving. If we detect a condition that might have gone undiagnosed because the patient couldn’t make it into a doctor’s office or treatment center, the implications for successful treatment could be profound.”
Creating a telehealth environment where patients feel confident and at ease is vital for the WellMax team. And that means using the right technology. This is what led Cosgrove to upgrade from the microphones that came with his video conferencing cameras and adopt Nureva audio for telehealth consultations. “Nureva technology has been a huge improvement for us – a dramatic step forward,” he says. “The clarity and reliability of the audio helps us make the patient comfortable, which is the most important thing for us.”
Keeping things simple
Another aspect Dr. Cosgrove appreciates about Nureva audio is how it simplifies almost every aspect of audio conferencing. He reports that the installation process handled by their dealer (but can be DIY) was a breeze, and that it had their conference room back online in less than an hour. Compare that to installing many multicomponent systems, which can take days.
The importance of freedom of movement
When Cosgrove learned about Nureva audio he was intrigued by Microphone Mist™ technology, which fills a room with thousands of virtual microphones enabling true full-room microphone coverage. Meeting participants in the conference room can be heard no matter where they move in the space. This is especially important if a doctor or other medical personnel need to stand or move to gesture or explain a condition or access a whiteboard or digital technology. “Microphone Mist is fabulous technology. Being able to be heard anywhere in the room really makes a difference,” says Cosgrove.
Accommodating group conversations
A deficiency with many traditional audio systems happens when two or more in-room participants engage in “cross talk” (talking simultaneously), as the audio from one or more of the talkers may drop out. Nureva is designed to let multiple talkers be heard at the same time. “This is one of the areas I think Nureva is really strong: when there’s more than one person in the room. Nureva enables better collaboration because you can have natural group conversations,” says Cosgrove. This is especially important for WellMax as a typical consultation in their conference room will involve two to three doctors or medical assistants collaborating as they speak with the patient.
Better communication leads to better results
With their long and deep experience with telehealth and other innovations in care like concierge medicine and the Personal Health Portfolio™, Dr. Cosgrove and his team at WellMax are proven leaders in patient care. They naturally seek out the newest and best technology. The team believes it makes a difference, even with seemingly simple aspects of treatment like clear communications. As Cosgrove says, “It makes a richer experience for everybody, and it makes the health care more effective. When the patient and the medical team can have natural conversations and clearly understand each other, you actually get better results. And that’s the ultimate measure of it. We would definitely recommend it to anybody who’s doing telehealth.”
More reasons to choose Nureva audio
Driven by our patented Microphone Mist technology, Nureva audio gives you three powerful reasons to choose our systems for your meeting and learning needs: True full-room coverage so everyone in the room can be heard. Easy installation – you can do it yourself in about 30 minutes. And the ability to easily manage all your systems from the cloud.
