Earlier this week we had the pleasure of attending the 2018 American Telemedicine Association (ATA) annual conference and expo in Chicago, IL. ATA18 is the world’s largest telehealth innovation and networking event, aimed at creating connections between leaders from the health and tech industry -- from providers, practitioners and clinicians to business professionals -- to facilitate the discussion and planning of the future of telemedicine.
With a handful of Beams in attendance, we proudly helped represent the innovative uses of telepresence technology and the important role it plays in moving telemedicine forward. We also enjoyed the keynote from AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins about our aging population and the need to incorporate technology in order to live longer and better.
Her observations that seniors aren’t actually afraid of technology and that 90% of people aged 65+ want to age in their own homes, among other insights, were important takeaways from the nation’s leading and largest organization (38 million members in 2018) dedicated to “empowering people to choose how they live as they age.”
The goal of the event was to send attendees back home armed with leading-edge knowledge and important contacts, as well as actionable insights for one of the healthcare sectors most crucial focuses: influencing the delivery of patient treatment. As has been our experience at other leading healthcare conferences, meeting other healthcare professionals in our booth and on the expo floor gave us inspiration to keep innovating.
This kind of interpersonal interaction reinforces the importance our next-generation Beams -- the BeamPro 2 - and how well they fit the bill for the healthcare industry’s needs.
Customers loved to see one of their requests - the vertically adjusting display - incorporated into the device. Many people commented that this feature offers the eye-to-eye connection that needs to be made with technology, specifically telepresence. Attendees also mentioned how invaluable the technology is for making remote rounds, visiting multiple clinics in a single day -- without leaving home -- and generally for connecting on-site with staff and patients in a personal way, regardless of the healthcare provider’s physical location.
The BeamPro 2 would also work well for those using translators, or working with rural clinics, for bringing in specialists. Tele-psychiatry was mentioned too - for incidents that come up and would be best handled with more eye-to-eye and body language, for example, an anxiety attack or other treatable concern that might usually be handled with a phone call. Our original Beam was also noted for its ability to provide elder care and at-home care - adding versatility and quality of life to an aging-in-place strategy.
And of course, seeing firsthand the curiosity and delight of ATA18 attendees faces made us Beam. Here are several of the highlights of ATA18 from a Beam’s-eye view:
Beam Buddies
Making friends, taking selfies
