Compatible medical devices such as general examination cameras, scopes, pulse oximeters etc are available though third party companies, independent from Healthdirect. These are USB or Bluetooth connected devices that can be connected to your computer and used to enhance your Video Call diagnostic capabilities. Please note that Healthdirect does not provide these devices, your organisation will need to organise these independently if you wish to use them in your Video Call consultations.
The descriptions and links below provide more information about companies and the medical products they have available - this is not an exhaustive list but these products have been tested and shown to work with Video Call. There may be other products available.
Visionflex
Visionflex specialises in high quality telehealth devices and medical imaging solutions for the healthcare sector. Visionflex products can add greater depth and detail to telehealth sessions by providing a close-up view through digital scopes and peripherals. These compatible USB connected devices can enrich the Video Call experience in a wide range of health care models.
Enriching the telehealth consultation experience
A health service provider with a patient in a clinical location, for example a GP practice, Aged Care Home or Urgent Care Centre (UCC), can share a Visionflex camera (scope, probe or Video glasses field of view) into a Video Call with a remote specialist, for examination and diagnosis.
Please see below for more information and use cases with healthdirect Video Call. For more information regarding Visionflex virtual care products, go to visionflex.com.au.
Compatible Visionflex devices
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General Examination Camera HD (GEIS) This is a hand-held telehealth consultation camera that can capture medical grade quality images and video in full HD 1080p resolution. It enables the health service provider to perform a wide range of medical examinations, including skin, throat, dental and eye examinations. This camera comes with a range of accessories to assist with these examinations. Some of these accessories are shown in the image to the right. |
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Video USB Otoscope HD The video otoscope is optimised for inspection of the auricle, the external auditory canal and the eardrum. Precision optics, high-intensity LED illumination and professional-grade camera electronics support an accurate diagnosis. |
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Video Examination Glasses HD These video glasses with built-in high definition cameras allow the wearer in a Video Call to live stream a video of what they are seeing. Paramedics or nurses, for example, can stream their field of view directly to a doctor or specialist in another location, to collaborate and receive live expert medical feedback while caring for a patient. The video glasses have a long USB lead to ensure that the wearer can move around as required for the examination. |
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Dental Intraoral Camera HD C-U2 This intraoral dental camera provides high definition details and an innovative design for maximum comfort when examining the mouth and teeth. |
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Flexible Video Rhino Laryngoscope This high-definition flexible video rhino laryngoscope can be used for visual examination of the upper respiratory tract structures, including the nasal tract, nasopharynx, oropharynx and larynx. |
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How to select a scope or camera in a Video Call
There are a number of ways to share a camera or scope into a Video Call, depending on your clinical requirements. The examples below outline the available options:
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1. A health service provider with a patient can plug in the Visionflex USB device, click on the Settings cog (highlighted at bottom left) to open the Settings drawer and select the device as their camera (switch camera). This will replace their camera feed so the specialist at the other end will no longer see them or their patient on the screen. They can then use the scope to conduct an examination, which streams live into the call. With this option the person sharing the camera can use the Flip Video button, to flip the view of this camera horizontally for their view, if desired. |
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2. During a Video Call, a specialist or doctor can request a camera from a health service provider who is with a patient. To do this they go to Apps & Tools and select Request a camera. |
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Once requested, the health service provider who is with the patient will see this screen. They click on Select a camera to share.
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| From the list of available cameras, they then select the medical device to share into the call. With this workflow, all participants will remain on the screen when the scope or probe shares into the call. |  |
| The specialist viewing the shared camera has the option to select a Video Quality, as highlighted in the bottom image under the shared camera image. As these scopes are Full High Definition, High can be selected. |  |
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3. A health service provider with a patient can share a Document Camera into the call, however please note this option supports a camera with high resolution but has a low frame rate - so if there is any movement this will make the image appear blurry. Click on Share Document Camera in Apps & Tools and select the required camera (in the case the GEIS camera). |
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Visionflex device use case examples
General Examination Camera HD
This medical imaging device allows the operator to perform a wide range of examinations while the camera is shared in a Video Call. A health service provider, such as a GP or nurse, who is with a patient can share the camera into a Video Call with a specialist in another location, to help with diagnosis and treatment guidance.
The General Examination Camera (GEIS) has a wide range of clinical uses, some which are outlined below:
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1. Skin Examination using switch camera A health service provider with a patient in a Video Call with another doctor or specialist, can switch their camera to the examination camera in the call. In this example the health service provider with the patient has switched their main camera to the examination camera. To do this:
See information above regarding the various ways you can share a scope or camera into a Video Call. |
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2. Skin image using Request a camera In this example, we simulate a specialist (at left of the screenshot) who has requested a camera from the health service provider who is with a patient in a remote location. This is also for a skin examination. To request a camera:
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 Apps & Tools drawer open and Request a Camera highlighted The specialist waits for the requested camera to be connected The camera is shared into the call and the examination is conducted |
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3. Skin examination using a wound measurement stick This optional attachment comes with the device and measures the size of a wound for treatment and comparison. |
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4. Eye examination using request camera In this example, specialist at bottom left has requested a camera. The health service provider with the patient has selected the GEIS camera and the examination has begun. Please note: an accessory has been attached to the hood of the camera, showing distance in millimetres for showing any size changes. |
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5. Throat examination using request camera This example using the General Examination Camera is showing a throat examination shared into the call. A tongue depressor accessory has been attached to the GEIS camera for this examination. |
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Video Examination Glasses HD
The Video Examination Glasses are an excellent way to give a doctor or specialist in another location a view of what the wearer is seeing.
This has many clinical use cases, including a nurse treating a remote patient with the assistance of a remote specialist, for example. This assists with remote diagnosis and live treatment recommendations. The example below shows the Video Glasses shared into the call using the Request a camera feature. Please note, the Video Glasses could also be shared in the call by switching camera.
| The clinician with the patient is shown in the right screen, wearing the Video Glasses. She is preparing to share the glasses camera into the call so the specialist can see what she sees. |  |
| The specialist (shown at the left of the screen) opens Apps & Tools and clicks on Request a camera. |  |
| The health service provider with the patient can select the requested camera in their screen. To do this, click on Select a camera to share. An overlay will appear showing the available cameras. Select the desired camera to share it into the call. |
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| Here, the Video Glasses camera has been selected and the specialist can see what the wearer sees. In this example the health service provider wearing the glasses is looking at the patient's hands. |
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Portable Digital Otoscope
The Portable Digital Otoscope is optimised for inspection of the auricle, the external auditory canal and the eardrum.
| Here, the Portable Digital Otoscope is being used to examine the ear canal during a Video Call consultation. |  |
Annotating over and downloading an image from a shared camera
Health service providers can annotate over a shared Visionflex camera using the Resource Toolbar, which displays when you hover over the shared camera window. The shared resource can be downloaded using the download arrow at the right of the Resource Toolbar. Click here and look under Using the Resource Toolbar during a call to find out more information about annotating, downloading and taking a snapshot of a shared resource.
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Annotation works in the same way as any other shared resource. From the Resource Toolbar, select the desired annotation tool and annotate over the shared Visionflex camera. In this example we have highlighted an area of the skin with a red circle and added some text. All participants in the call will see the annotations. |
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Download an image of the shared camera by clicking on the download button.
If you have annotated over a resource, you have the option to save the image with or without the annotations, as shown in the bottom image. The downloaded file will save to the folder your downloads are set to. |
 
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