Dermatologist Steven Hacker, MD, can make a visual diagnosis of emergency skin conditions, even when he’s not in the office, thanks to a new telepresence robot now roaming the halls of his Palm Beach County, Florida-based practice. The VGO robot (pictured) allows Dr. Hacker to remotely interact with patients in his practice. While he does not use the robot to evaluate moles, pigmented lesions or possible skin cancers, due to a lack of fine resolution and zoom functionality. “For pattern recognition in acute rashes such as shingles or poison ivy and post-operative complications, for example, it is more than adequate,” says Dr. Hacker. For more information visit www.vgocom.com.
