The great thing about any emerging technology is that users constantly find new and innovative applications which add further value to the product. Initially conceived to support medical professionals in remote locations, the Rod&Cones remote communication platform has always had an educational aspect to it. However, with the increasing adoption of our service and technology, it’s fast becoming the go-to educational tool for MedTech reps and medical professionals. 

Proctorship & Case Observations 

With remote technology, which brings the OR to external experts and external expertise into the OR, there is a huge range of educational applications, from proctorships to case observations. 

A proctorship involves the monitoring and evaluation of a medical practitioner by a senior colleague. Using Rods&Cones, the supervisor – an experienced healthcare professional – can sit at their desk in front of a computer screen watching and interacting with their colleague in the OR. This means they don’t need to travel or scrub in to the OR. At the same time, the junior healthcare professional in the room gains a sense of independence because their supervisor is not physically standing over them. However, help is still on hand should it be needed. 

Remote solutions also enable healthcare professionals to scale their educational efforts. Rather than a small group attending in person inside the OR, and not getting the best view of proceedings, when running a course with Rods&Cones opens up the expert’s-eye-view of what’s happening to more people. This means observers get the best seat in the house without physically attending the theatre. 

Professional Education 

MedTech reps are used to being in and around medical environments, accompanying healthcare professionals inside the operating room (OR). For that reason, introducing remote technology represents a marked shift and a significant step out of the OR and into a digital model of education. 

When one of our kits is set up in an OR, MedTech reps can connect remotely to provide support on how to correctly use a device. This process allows the MedTech representative to provide training and support to a leading healthcare professional when first introduced to a new device. This is beneficial because it enables them to cut down on the travel time needed for making in-person visits to medical facilities while connecting to a broader number of a contact in the same amount of time. Therefore, not only can sales reps attend more sessions, but they can also extend their customer reach by transmitting product demonstrations remotely to a global, geographically dispersed audience. 

This audience might consist of procurement teams, existing surgeons, other healthcare professionals who work within the OR, and even residents learning about different medical devices as part of their ongoing education. 

Changing Healthcare Education Worldwide 

From a holistic point of view, remote assistance services provide a revolutionary way to standardize education in the healthcare sector. 

From the perspective of a training healthcare professional, the interactive element of Rods&Cones facilitates important conversations and the sharing of medical knowledge and skills. Before a live case takes place, the teacher can introduce the session to participants, providing a level of interactivity before, during, and after the procedure. 

What users of Rod&Cones also enjoy is the improved visibility over the procedure. With the right Rod&Cones devices – such as the PanOR – set up in the OR itself, they not only see what the healthcare professional sees but all the other important activities around the OR. This even includes relevant information such as scans or X-rays. In short, attendees get a greatly improved view of the OR seeing things they might otherwise miss when attending in person.

The Future of ProfEd 

Bridging physical distances between leading surgical experts and their peers and students has the potential to democratize education in the healthcare sector. It’s conceivable that both training programs from MedTech representatives to medical professionals for the introduction of new devices, as well as the ongoing proctorship will ultimately move towards a remote solution – or at the least a hybrid model for their training efforts. Being able to understand how to implement such technology into the structure of training programs can be seen as a beneficial, if not essential, step towards the future and, conclusively, democratize knowledge worldwide. 

Learn more about Rods&Cones by clicking here.