Vistajet transmits in-air passenger health data to medical experts
New onboard technology across the Vistajet fleet of private jets is the 'next best thing to having a doctor by your side'. Rose Dykins reports
Global business aviation company Vistajet now has tech on all its private jets that can monitor passengers’ health as they fly.
Vistajet has partnered with medical tech company RDT, and international SOS company MedAire to become the first charter operator to add health monitors on board its entire international fleet of private jets.
This gives passengers access to 24/7, on-the-ground medical support during flights – and peace of mind for their safety while jet-setting during a pandemic.
The Tempus IC2 is a telemedicine monitor designed to be used in remote medical emergencies by non-medical experts.
Having the monitors on board means Vistajet crew can measure private jet passengers’ vital signs while in the air. They can send and images, video and real-time voice messages securely to MedAire’s ground-based medical team.
If they become concerned about a passenger’s symptoms or wellbeing – or their own – Vistajet crew can use the Tempus IC2 to contacts MedAire’s team for treatment guidance and advice.
“The information from the monitor is seamlessly and confidentially shared with the ground-based medical experts,” says Thomas Flohr, Vistajet’s founder and chairman.
“It is the next best thing to having a doctor by your side, and yet another example of Vistajet’s investment into safety and security to protect all those who fly with us on our global infrastructure. All operators with a global programme should have this technology available on board.”
Having telemedicine tech on board Vistajet’s planes speeds up the diagnosis and care of passengers experiencing medical issues during a flight. The real-time transmission of people’s medical data to medical experts reduces the chance of misdiagnosis, costly medical evacuations or diversions.
Dr Paulo M Alves, global medical director at MedAire, says: “The parameters available when taking a Tempus call are essentially the same as those one would have in most emergency rooms.
“Tempus IC2 is invaluable when remotely managing a medical situation, because it gives MedAire’s doctors the clinical-quality data needed to make a better diagnostic impression.”
On-the-ground MedAire staff can tell Vistajet’s operations team to divert a jet’s flight path or destination to a vetted international hospital. They can also assist the onboard patient in obtaining any prescriptions or medication needed when they reach their final destination.