‘Pioneer’ smart glasses tested by nurses to help them spend more time with patients | Science & Technology News

New types of virtual reality glasses will be tested by nurses during home visits, in an effort to maximize the amount of time spent with patients, the NHS said.

Smart glasses, in real time, forward appointments to electronic records, so time spent doing administrative tasks is reduced.

In turn, there will be more time for nurses to perform clinical tasks such as checking blood pressure, examining wounds, and assessing health needs.

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

Goggles include thermal imaging to help assess the wound and how well the wound has healed and will allow staff to share live footage with colleagues in the hospital for a second opinion.

Nurses in Northern Lincolnshire and the Google NHS Foundation Trust will begin trials next week with patients who agree to use the technology.

NHS chief transformation officer Dr Tim Ferris said: “These new smart glasses are the latest in pioneering technology and really show us what the future of the NHS will look like.

“They are mutually beneficial for staff and patients, freeing up management time for nurses, which means 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 each time a patient encounters it, it will automate key tasks that are now performed manually, giving staff time to return to providing holistic, human-centered care for each patient.”

Clinical nurse specialist Becky Birchall said her team is “delighted” to be the first in the country to include these devices in community visits.

“We are currently spending a significant amount of time writing patient visits, and these advanced goggles will really help cut down on the time we need to spend on admin, support,” she said. We take care of patients.”

The trust has been awarded £400,000 by NHS England to test the technology as part of a broader innovation that will see 16 more pilot schemes in the coming months – with the NHS Long Term Plan committed to using the latest technology nationwide.