Google Glass helping paramedics during medical emergencies

Though augmented-reality headset Google Glass might have failed as a commercial product but the device is helping Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics communicate with ease with doctors during emergencies.

Google Glass didn’t fail because of the technology, rather because the company failed to tell the customer what problem it solved or why they needed it. But seems like, finally the headset has a purpose in life.

According to a report in Popular Science, the eye wearable device is being used by paramedics and EMTs assessing patients and consult with surgeons and doctors at the hospital in real time.

"During disasters, emergency rooms typically get overwhelmed. So when truly injured patients show up later, we have nowhere to put them," said Peter Chai, emergency medical physician at the University of Massachusetts' Medical School (UMMS).

UMMS will be organising a drill this fall with first responders wearing Google Glass to see if it improves emergency assessment.

The university also plans to deploy a drone equipped with heat sensors to help find patients and determine which ones need the most urgent attention.

Earlier in April, a San Francisco-based startup raised $17 million to "rehumanise the interaction" between doctors and patients using Google Glass. Augmedix developed a platform using the eye wearable for doctors to collect, update and recall patient and other medical data in real time.