| American TeleCare®,
Inc. Announces UTMB’s Successful Use of New IP Protocol for
CareTone® Ultra Telephonic Stethoscope
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. (September 25, 2002)
– American TeleCare®, Inc. (ATI) announced today the successful
development and market introduction of a software program for transporting
CareTone® Ultra Digital Tele-Stethoscope signal over IP (internet
protocol) networks. The development was facilitated by invaluable
feedback and testing from the University of Texas Medical Branch
at Galveston (UTMB), one of the largest users of the industry-leading
CareTone Ultra.
American TeleCare developed IP connectivity in response
to the increasing use of IP networking in videoconferencing technologies.
The IP software allows the CareTone Ultra to run independently yet
alongside video or data streams. The CareTone Ultra, which transmits
high quality heart and lung sounds, is recognized as the premium
tele-stethoscope, and is used widely in institutional telemedicine
programs throughout the world, as well as in American TeleCare’s home telehealth
system.
UTMB has the most extensive telemedicine
network in the country, currently conducting over 500 remote consultations
weekly. They utilize 75 CareTone Ultras within the corrections component
to their telemedicine services. The corrections program provides
offenders in the state’s penal system with access to healthcare
services. Telemedicine allowed for timely patient evaluations and
interventions, which has resulted in a $650 million cost savings
over a six year period.
Says Dr. Glenn Hammack, Director of Health
Informatics and Telemedicine for UTMB Correctional Managed Care,
“The CareTone Ultra tele-stethoscope is an integral part of
our Digital Medical Services telemedicine system. It provides the
high quality real-time heart and lung sounds we require for primary
care and cardiology services, better than other tele-stethoscopes
we evaluated. We have been very pleased with American TeleCare’s responsiveness
to our need for an IP protocol for the stethoscope, and we were
pleased to provide the requirements for the development of this
new technology.”
“Our commitment to responding to evolving
telecommunications developments and to our customers’ needs
is evidenced in the development of CareTone Ultra IP,” comments
C.R. Abbruscato, chief technology officer for American TeleCare, and inventor
of the CareTone tele-stethoscopes.
“American TeleCare is committed to maintaining the
integrity of the interface between the patient and provider,”
says Randall Moore, MD, MBA, chief executive officer for American
TeleCare, “The tele-stethescope enables the clinician to perform
many parts of the physical examination that would otherwise require
the patient and clinician to be present in the same physical location.”
American TeleCare, Inc., is a telehealth
solutions company. The CareTone Ultra line of tele- stethoscopes
started in 1995, and includes an analog model and a low bandwidth
digital model plus the software for the IP transport. Widely recognized
as the industry gold standard, the CareTone Ultras are widely used
in institutional telemedicine programs both nationally and abroad.
They also comprise an important component of American TeleCare’s home telehealth
system. The company currently markets the CareTone Ultras and the
AVIVA® System, an FDA-cleared telemedicine monitoring system
that incorporates live audio/video with integrated electronic medical
peripherals to allow a doctor or nurse to conduct remote assessments
of patients in their homes. The products are simple to use, and
operate through a standard telephone line. For more information,
visit www.americantelecare.com
or call 1-800-323-6667.
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