Google and Mount Sinai use Nest Cams to remotely monitor COVID-19 patients
Their special setup reduces risks for healthcare workers.
In-person checks on COVID-19 patients are inherently risky, and that means using up valuable protective equipment (not to mention time) that might be necessary for urgent situations. Google and New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital have developed a safer approach. They’re rolling out a new system that uses two Nest Cams per room for monitoring — one to check on and interact with patients, and one to monitor vitals. Special-built consoles at nurse stations let healthcare workers oversee their patients and respond to some requests without having to don safety gear.
Mount Sinai starts receiving the monitoring system this week. Google ultimately plans to provide 10,000 Nest Cams and the appropriate consoles to hospitals across the US. This is coming right as COVID-19 hospitalizations appear to be on the decline, but it could still prove vital if it both reduces the risks for hospital staff and helps them properly care for as many patients as possible.