TrueConf has debuted the TrueConf Kiosk Safety Version (SV) with RFID and NFC access control designed for contactless communication in emergency hospitals. Powered by Linux or Windows, TrueConf Kiosk SV is a communication bridge for frontline medical workers fighting COVID-19. The solution is used in the Bakulev Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery to ensure safe video communication between the green and red zones of the hospital.

Founded in 1956, Bakulev Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery is a cardiovascular surgery-related facility of the Russian Federation. In April 2020, Moscow city authorities mobilized their medical facilities in response to COVID-19, and Bakulev National Medical Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery was one of the first hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients.

The hospital needed to protect its staff and ensure that medical workers have a safe and clean environment to operate in. To ensure the safety of medical workers and patients, the Medical Research Center divided the hospital into two zones: an isolated “red zone” where quarantined patients are treated and a “green zone” designed for daily consultations with limited personnel flows between the two zones. Hospital management prohibited medical staff from using smartphones and other personal devices to mitigate the risk of viruses penetrating outside the potentially infected area. TrueConf built a connection bridge between the hospital areas with the help of contactless video-enabled kiosks.

TrueConf Kiosk SV enables frontline workers in the “red zone” to discuss the medical diagnosis and treatment with experts in the “green zone.” Doctors hold a personal access card or bracelet with an RFID/NFC tag close to the self-service kiosk to contact managers, consult a colleague remotely, contact an operator or make phone calls. Once authorized, they gain access to the address book in the video conferencing system. Each user authorized with a card or tag has an individual set of contacts. It is also possible to display an emergency call button on the main screen of TrueConf Kiosk SV that is available to all users, including unauthorized ones. Card authorization is required to personalize the user address book and protect the device from third parties. Additionally, doctors and nurses can perform routine tasks such as inspection and diagnosis through video while staying in the “green zone.”

Self-service systems powered by TrueConf Kiosk can be installed in hospitals, at the checkpoints of large-scale enterprises, or in organizations with stringent labor safety requirements. The app also provides an opportunity to log all the calls in emergency situations or at enterprises where staff flow and communications must be recorded.