Introduction: Tyto is a novel device designed for recording and transmitting physical examination of ears, throat, heart and lungs wirelessly for a clinician’s review from a distance. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of the Tyto device.
Methods: Prospective study. A convenience sample of children aged of 2-18 years presenting to an emergency dept. (ED) of a tertiary facility meeting the eligibility criteria were enrolled. Participants were examined by a physician using the Tyto device and later by an ED senior physician (conventional physical examination). The Tyto assisted (TA) examination of rt. ear, lt. ear, heart, rt. lung, lt. lung and throat was subsequently evaluated by an independent senior physician. The TA and the conventional examinations were compared and analyzed using the Chi-square and Kappa test for agreement. The quality of the data retrieved, user experience and safety were also evaluated using a scale of 1-5.
Results: Of the 138 children studied, 59% were boys. The average age was 8.1 years ± 5 (S.D.). The agreement (kappa) for rt. ear, lt. ear, heart, rt. lung, lt. lung and throat examinations resulted in 0.467, 0.781, 0.674(1), 0.905, 1, 0.796, respectively; average quality measured 3.93, 4, 4.94, 4.35, 4.31, 4.9; and average user experience 4.64, 4.76, 4.95, 3.92, 4.1, 4.76, all respectively. No adverse events were recorded.
Conclusions: The remote physical examination of organs studied performed using the Tyto device seems to be as good and as safe as the conventional physical examination.
