Abbott has recently announced that its neuromodulation therapy platform, NeuroSphere has been updated to provide remote programming, enabling patients to communicate with and receive treatments from their practitioner for chronic pain and movement disorders without having to visit an in-person clinic.
NeuroSphere’s new virtual clinic can be accessed through the Abbott patient controller app on Abbott’s Infinity Deep Brain Stimulation System, the Proclaim XR Spinal Cord Stimulation System, and the Proclaim Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurostimulation System.
Abbott’s NeuroSphere works to treat patients through stimulation to the spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion, and the brain. Abbott’s Proclaim XR Spinal Cord Stimulation System offers treatment for chronic pain and causalgia through spinal cord and dorsal ganglion stimulation. Abbott’s Infinity Deep Brain Stimulation System treats Parkinson’s Disease and essential tremor through mild pulses of electricity in the brain.
Neurosphere’s Virtual Clinic is enabling patients to get the care they require anytime and anywhere with a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. Patients are able to connect with their practitioner using video chat through the app. Doctors can also prescribe new stimulation settings to treat chronic pain and movement disorders.
This update is providing patients with a safer way to interact with health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual clinic allows for both communication and treatment to be fulfilled in remote settings, reducing exposure. The convenience also means that patients will be able to receive the needed adjustments to their devices instantaneously. Medicare will be covering remote programming services as a telehealth reimbursement throughout the public health emergency.
NeuroSphere’s platform update is also helping patients who struggle with traveling to healthcare facilities. Patients who live in rural areas often postpone treatment until adjustments can be made to their medication.
Director of the Inova Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Center, Dr. Drew Falconer said, “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.”
Abbott continues to close the gap between healthcare providers and patients through modern health technology. Through this NeuroSphere update, Abbott is providing patients with a personalized experience in remote settings, allowing them to pursue the interactions and treatments they need more quickly, safely, and conveniently.
