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Abbott Releases NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic for Remote Neuromodulation Care

Abbott Releases NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic for Remote Neuromodulation Care

Patients can communicate with a physician and remotely receive stimulation settings in real-time with a web connection.

By Sam Brusco, Associate Editor03.08.21

Abbott
began U.S. launch of NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic, a first-of-its-kind technology that provides tools to communicate with physicians, ensure proper settings and functionality, and receive new treatment settings remotely as needed. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it can boost optimal treatment access for patients with chronic pain or movement disorders who don't live close to a care provider, have difficulty accessing care, or can’t make a clinic visit because of circumstances like COVID-19.
 
Abbott's NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic enables patients to receive care anywhere with cellular or wi-fi connection and adequately charged patient controller by connecting with their doctor via secure in-app video chat and an integrated remote programming. Clinicians can remotely prescribe new treatment settings to neurostimulation devices using the clinician programmer app and secure remote care connection.
 
"With NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic, physicians can communicate and digitally prescribe new stimulation settings remotely, allowing them to extend care beyond their clinic walls and optimize therapy management," Timothy Deer, M.D., DABPM, president and CEO of The Spine and Nerve Center of the Virginias in Charleston, W.Va. told the press. "This is a significant advancement for chronic pain patients."


"NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic solves considerable issues patients with movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease or essential tremor, can have in obtaining the care they need," added Drew Falconer, M.D., neurologist and director, Inova Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center in Fairfax, Va. "Often, patients must be off their medication overnight, so that their treatments can be adjusted properly, which can make it difficult for a patient to travel to their specialist. With NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic, patients can receive stimulation settings from their physicians in real time and remotely via cloud and Bluetooth-based technology, which is something we have never been able to do before. This opens up a world in which patients can receive the care they need anytime, anywhere."
 
The NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic can also be helpful for those in both rural and urban areas with insufficient access to medical services. It brings telemedicine’s convenience and flexibility to neurostimulation therapy. Medicare will cover remote programming services as a telehealth benefit through the duration of the public health emergency.
 
"A decade ago, we started evaluating the hurdles that patients had to overcome to receive neuromodulation treatment, and we have been working ever since to find a better way to connect providers and patients—with the goal of empowering patients to decide how to access the care they need," said Keith Boettiger, vice president, Neuromodulation, Abbott. "We are continuing to make these kinds of investments and working with regulatory authorities to make these telehealth changes permanent, as we believe that patients should be able to receive the care they need, regardless of whether they can make it physically to the doctor's office."
 
The NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic is compatible with Abbott's suite of neuromodulation technologies, including Infinity DBS System for Parkinson's disease and upper extremity tremors in adults with essential tremors; Proclaim XR SCS System fo trunk and/or limb chronic pain; and Proclaim DRG Neurostimulation System for lower limb chronic pain caused by complex regional pain syndrome or causalgia.
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