New Practitioner Cart brings versatility, network security and FDA Class I MDDS clearance to U.S. government agencies and healthcare providers wherever patients need care
San Jose, Calif. - Feb. 26, 2013 - Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open, standards-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C), today announced the Polycom® RealPresence® Practitioner Cart® 8000, a new, ergonomic telemedicine cart, is now available for purchase by U.S. government agencies on the GSA schedule.
The RealPresence Practitioner Cart 8000 is available on the GS-34F-0511T GSA vehicle through EC America, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of immixGroup, Inc.
The RealPresence Practitioner Cart helps address the need for government agencies and healthcare providers to bring expert care to patients quickly and cost-effectively, even if those patients are located far away from a major medical center. By engaging live with patients and on-site caregivers via secure high-definition (HD) video and audio, including viewing and sharing HD content and audio, medical professionals can improve remote consultations with patients to help save lives, time, and money, even in locations that don't have persistent access to high-speed bandwidth. The RealPresence Practitioner Cart is one of a full set of solutions - powered by the Polycom® RealPresence® Platform, the most interoperable and comprehensive UC&C software infrastructure for universal video collaboration - that empower medical experts and personnel to be where they are needed most, when they are needed most.
"As one of the largest healthcare providers in the world, the U.S. government is accelerating the adoption of telemedicine as it seeks to deliver quality care to citizens, the military and veterans around the world without the complexity and cost of transport to large medical centers, or the complicated logistics and significant time drain of sending specialists into the field," said Ron Emerson, global director of healthcare, Polycom. "With the Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart and the RealPresence Platform, healthcare providers can reach patients around the world at lower costs, faster, with an enterprise-grade solution that ties together virtually any type of video collaboration device, from practitioner carts to tablets and PCs."
Equipped with a simple-to-use, Polycom® HDX® 8000 video system and Polycom® EagleEye™ HD camera, the RealPresence Practitioner Cart enables greater productivity with HD video technology for sharp, clear images. Audio features such as Polycom StereoSurround™ and Polycom Music Mode™ technology more faithfully reproduces a broader range of frequencies for natural and crisp conversations, even over lower bandwidth connections. The new cart also satisfies the latest FDA Class I Medical Device Data Systems (MDDS) requirement and utilizes the Polycom HDX 8000 codec engine that is Department of Defense Unified Capabilities Approved Product List (DoD UCAPL) certified, meeting the stringent security requirements for some of the most secure networks in the world.
Additional features include:
- Mobility and Ergonomics. With a small, sturdy base, users can easily maneuver the cart in tight spaces and take full-stride steps when transporting the cart. To ensure video participants maintain eye-level contact, a powered electronic lift enables fast and easy height adjustments. A battery power system allows users to operate the cart anywhere network connectivity is available.
- Medical Device Integration and Connection. Clinicians have a host of input options for connecting laptops and third-party medical peripheral devices, such as digital in-band stethoscopes and video scopes through an integrated, extensive plug-and-play side connection panel.
- Security. The new cart protects patient data with AES encryption to assist in the compliance of HIPAA requirements, and secures contents with a keyless entry drawer and lockable storage bin. With a DoD UCAPL certified codec engine, the cart also meets the stringent security requirements for some of the most secure networks in the world.
