MemorialCare Implements Remote Exam Tool for Telehealth Diagnoses

MemorialCare in Fountain Valley, California, is partnering with TytoCare to enhance its telehealth services.

TytoCare provides virtual home examination and diagnosis solutions, including a hand-held tool for remotely examining the heart, lungs, skin, ears, throat, abdomen, and body temperature, and a telehealth platform for sharing exam data, conducting live video exams, and scheduling visits.

Through the new partnership, MemorialCare will expand its virtual care offerings. TytoCare's handheld device will allow patients to perform guided medical exams with MemorialCare providers remotely. The device has received Food and Drug Administration approval.

Patients can use the TytoCare app to participate in video visits offered through MemorialCare's Virtual Urgent Care service. Data from the remote exam is sent to MemorialCare providers through an encrypted network.

Providers can leverage exam data to diagnose and treat conditions and write a prescription if needed. The virtual visit is also downloaded into MemorialCare's MyChart EMR system.

"MemorialCare is committed to finding ways to enable patients to manage their health through a personalized healthcare experience and ensure that no matter their circumstance, they have easy access to clinic-quality examinations from the comfort of home," said Barry Arbuckle, PhD, president and CEO of MemorialCare, in a news release. "TytoCare enables us to do just that."

In addition to the remote examination tool and a telehealth platform, TytoCare offers a cloud-based data repository with analytics and machine-learning algorithms to provide insights that support clinical decision-making.

"As health systems look to permanently incorporate and expand their telehealth options in the post-pandemic landscape, they've come to realize that audio/video-only telehealth isn't enough to provide patients with the quality of care they demand," said Dedi Gilad, co-founder, and CEO of TytoCare, in the press release. "TytoCare's reimagining of triage and virtual primary care will allow patients to benefit from simple, efficient, and accurate exams from the comfort of home."

MemorialCare plans to expand its partnership with TytoCare to include employer worksites in the coming months. The health system will use TytoCare's technology to diagnose and treat employees at their workplaces.

Founded in 2012, TytoCare has garnered several provider partners over the past decade, including Miami Children's Health System and NorthShore University HealthSystem.

The news of its latest partnership comes as virtual care becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare delivery.

Forty-four percent of 240 healthcare providers said that they are still exclusively using telehealth, and 93 percent of providers said they are somewhat or very likely to continue to use telehealth after the pandemic, according to a recent survey.

Further, patient comfort with telehealth is growing. A survey of 307 individuals in the US commissioned by TytoCare and conducted by Global Surveyz shows that 80 percent consider virtual primary care a comfortable alternative to going to the emergency department.

Additionally, an overwhelming majority (92 percent) believe that the option of a remote physical examination increased their access to primary and urgent care.