Tried and tested at festivals:toilet cubicle becomes telemedical supply station
Festival visitors received telemedical care thanks to a converted toilet cubicle. The "cabin" is to be used in crisis areas in the future.
Converted toilet to save lives.
(Image: Uniklinik RWTH Aachen)
At this year's Parookaville festival in Weeze, a converted toilet cubicle equipped with modern medical technology served as a telemedical care station. The mobile unit was successfully tested under real-life conditions for the first time. It was developed by the RWTH Aachen University Hospital as part of the “Cabin” project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
More than 100 festival visitors received medical care with the help of a cabin equipped with a camera, ECG, digital stethoscope, clinical thermometer and other devices – without medical staff on site. Instead, doctors conducted the examinations via video. Patient data was transmitted and evaluated in real time, and a prescription could even be issued if required.
Telemedicine for emergencies
The aim of the cabin project is to use the telemedicine station in crisis and disaster areas in the future – for example, after natural disasters when there is a lack of medical infrastructure. The cabin has a modular design, is energy self-sufficient thanks to solar power and a satellite connection, and can be operated on the move within 24 to 48 hours. “Thanks to standardized interfaces and intuitive operation, even untrained helpers can put it into operation and care for patients – with medical support from a distance,” reads the press release. The results of the field test will now be incorporated into the further development of the technology and new pilot projects.
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“We were able to show that our solution works reliably even in hot, stressful, and busy conditions,” explains study leader Anna Müller from the AcuteCare InnovationHub at Aachen University Hospital. Patient satisfaction was high, and there were hardly any technical failures. According to the project description, the cabin should also be able to be transported by helicopter to crisis areas in the future. Drones will then be used to transport medicines and the like.
A tele-emergency doctor was already tested at the Munich Oktoberfest in 2022. Last year, the same medical service, Aicher Ambulanz, used a mobile CT scanner for examinations at the Oktoberfest – Patients with abnormalities were transferred to nearby clinics.
(mack)
