Vodafone Germany partnered with start-up company Corevas to develop a video chat technology that enables doctors to carry out virtual consultations and make sure people can receive the medical attention they need.
The 'EmergencyEye' enables an initial diagnosis of symptoms to be made remotely. Chronically or suddenly unwell people can have an initial conversation with a doctor from the comfort of their own home, via video. The doctor bases their assessment on what they see and hear and can initiate further measures to address the symptoms. So far more than 400 general practitioners and hospitals have been using the system, helping to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and avoiding putting additional lives at risk.
EmergencyEye is extremely easy to use and accessible to all, as it does not require a smartphone app, or the installation of a complex system in medical practices. If a patient calls a doctor's surgery using the normal telephone number, they are then sent a text message with a simple link to start a video chat – using a dedicated network set up by Vodafone, to ensure there’s no delay in receiving the messages. The video call is also zero-rated, which means that the customer does not use any of their data allowance when speaking to their doctor.