‘Pioneering’ new smart glasses to be tested by nurses so they can spend more time with patients | Science and technology news

New virtual reality-style glasses are to be tested by nurses on home visits to maximize time spent with patients, the NHS has said.

Data glasses transmit appointments in real time directly into electronic records, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks.

In return, nurses will have more time to perform clinical tasks such as checking blood pressure, checking wounds and assessing health care needs.

It is estimated that community nurses spend more than half of their day manually entering data and filling out forms.

The goggles contain thermal imaging cameras to help assess how wounds and injuries are healing and allows staff to share live footage directly with hospital colleagues for a second opinion.

Nurses in the NHS Foundation Trust area of ​​Northern Lincolnshire and Goole will start the study next week with patients who consent to the technology being used.

NHS Director for Transformation Dr. Tim Ferris said: “These new smart glasses are the latest breakthrough technology and really show us what the future of the NHS could be like.

“They are a win-win situation for staff and patients alike, as they relieve nursing staff of time-consuming administrative work and thus have more time for patient care.”

The software used in the smart glasses, called A.Consult, was developed by Concept Health, with founder Farhan Amin saying, “As the smart glasses learn from every patient encounter, it will automate key tasks that are currently performed manually and staff Giving each patient time to provide holistic, person-centered care.”

Clinical Nurse Specialist Becky Birchall said her team is “excited” to be the first in the country to take the devices to community visits.

“We currently spend a lot of time writing down our patient visits and these state of the art goggles will really help reduce the time we have to spend on administration and help us care for our patients,” she said.

The Trust has been awarded £400,000 by NHS England to test the technology as part of broader innovation which will include a further 16 pilots over the coming months – with the NHS Long Term Plan committed to using the latest technology across the board use country.