Disrupting Primary Healthcare: Guardian Eye’s AVA Brings an Efficient and Affordable Telemedicine Solution to the Workplace

As South Africa continues to battle tough economic conditions, telemedicine offers benefits to employers and employees alike. Against this background, Guardian Eye’s ‘innovative asynchronous IoT medical device and telemedicine platform’, known as AVA, is set to bring positive change to the local healthcare industry, reducing costs and offering several benefits across the board, to both organisations and individuals.

Telemedicine, meaning the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients through the use of electronic information and communications technologies, allows a person to seek a doctor’s advice about non-emergency situations that don’t require an in-office visit. In short, telemedicine allows for the provision of supportive health care when distance separates the patient from the healthcare provider, and it can be classified as either ‘synchronous’ or ‘asynchronous’.

Unpacking the Terminology

Asynchronous telemedicine involves a live, remote exchange of patient information through direct, real-time interaction between a physician and a patient. Asynchronous health uses a ‘store-and-forward’ approach, in which the patient shares information, including medical images and/or data, through a patient portal, and the provider reviews it later. Guardian Eye’s AVA uses an asynchronous approach.

If we take a brief step backwards, it’s useful to clarify that some of the structural barriers that had previously slowed down the South African health system’s investment in telemedicine were set aside by the 2020 onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. During this crisis period around the globe, local government regulations that had previously impeded the uptake of telemedicine were, of necessity, set aside, while the enablement of funding mechanisms allowed for provider adoption and consumer uptake.

Today, Guardian Eye is continuing to harness the potential of telemedicine technology and innovation, as well as the momentum gained from the realities of Covid-19, to provide better and more efficient access to healthcare moving forward.

The AVA medical device, powered by IoT technology, is bridging a gap in the workplace by offering improved access to care, reduced costs and increased efficiency in healthcare delivery for everyone involved. Our offering is aimed at companies with upwards of 150 employees, and is a first-to-market within Africa.

How it Works

The AVA Guardian Eye link includes the remote monitoring of patients by gathering and saving all historical medical data and images, and other forms of communication, allowing healthcare providers to deliver care outside traditional in-person visits.

• By making use of the ‘Higo Pro’ connected e-health care product, this user-friendly device with different measuring attachments can be used to collect vital data from an employee who is feeling unwell.
• These vitals are sent to an online doctor to make an initial diagnosis – generally within a waiting period of just 30 minutes.
• The medical exams are performed by a nurse or a trained AVA Champion Operator, with data sent to a doctor for final diagnosis.
• If applicable, the doctor will give the employee member a medication script and/or a sick note that the employee can send to the Human Resources (HR) department.

Benefits to Employers and Employees

This convenient healthcare option saves the employee time by reducing travel and waiting room times. Employees are also able to save money by receiving this unlimited access to a healthcare provider as a work-sponsored benefit, rather than having to pay for their own medical appointment costs (those on medical aids are then able to preserve this for special investigations).

This continuous medical care provides employees with access to a doctor’s diagnosis within half an hour, as well as any necessary sick notes or pharmacy scripts. If specialist care is deemed preferable, the patient will be advised.

From the perspective of the employer, Guardian Eye’s AVA is able to keep digital healthcare records for all employees; increase motivation and morale through the provision of a quality employer benefit; and increase productivity and reduce staff members’ sick leave overall by up to 30 percent, through the provision of onsite telemedicine services.

In today’s difficult economic climate, why not maximise the advantages brought by a ‘Doctor at your fingertips’ and make use of this exciting and cost-containing option, which offers real health benefits to both employers and employees alike?

It can thus be seen that in South Africa today, telemedicine is not the ‘way of the future’ but actually an exciting and innovative health solution that is already here.

For more information, contact us on https://guardianeye.co.za/contact-us/