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Seriously, where has Tyto Care’s™ new handheld medical device, TytoHome™ been all my life? I’m not exaggerating when I say this: This at-home medical exam device is unlike anything I’ve seen before. This is a sponsored post with TytoCare™. All opinions are 100% my own.

When I first became a mom, I was so terrified that every cough, low grade temp, huge spit up or off-day was going to be the beginning of some crazy, scary illness. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that extreme but I was just so anxious about everything. Our insurance wasn’t the best so running to Urgent Care every time I felt we needed to wasn’t really cost efficient. We all know it’s the absolute worst to head into Urgent Care only to be sent home with the diagnosis, “Oh it’s just a virus.” That is the worst, especially after you’ve sat in a waiting room with your infant son with other coughing, sneezing, and infected people.

What exactly is TytoHome™?

TytoHome™ is a handheld medical device that allows you to perform a guided medical exam with a clinician, from the comfort of your home. Okay think about that – medical exam from the comfort of your living room with your sick child. No waiting room germs, no trudging yourself and your baby or child out in the snow and cold (because we all know that kids get sick at the worst possible times – weekends, snowstorms), you can have an exam with a clinician using your TytoHome™.

On their website, TytoCare™ says, “Tyto is a handheld exam kit that empowers you to receive a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and a prescription if needed, all from the comfort of home.” See, it’s empowering.

How does TytoHome™ work?

TytoHome™ works by allowing you to conduct a guided medical exam with a clinician. The Tyto device kit comes with the following tools:

• exam camera
• thermometer
• otoscope
• stethoscope
• tongue depressor adapters

During the exam you’ll be connected to a live clinician who is ready to walk you through the exam.  You can also take exams with videos and pictures to send to the clinician. TytoHome™ will guide you through the steps of taking photos to send a clinician if you cannot reach one when you need to. I checked out my ears on my own and was amazed how easy it was. Have I told you how I have zero medical training or experience? None, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing when it comes to medical care and I was able to easily navigate taking a photo of my eardrum using TytoHome™. The device is HIPPAA-secure and will transmit a secure electronic record to the doctor.

Currently, TytoHome™ has partnered with Sanford Health to provide medical care to patients using the device in the Minnesota region. Insurance coverage may vary. Check with your provider if you have any questions about coverage.

What conditions can TytoHome™ diagnose?

TytoHome™ can help your clinician diagnose and treat a range of conditions such as ear infections, sore throats, fever, cold and flu, allergies, pink eye, nausea, constipation, asthma, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, bug bites and skin conditions like contact dermatitis, rash, and diaper rash.

As I’m writing that list of conditions, I’m remembering all of the times TytoHome™ would have been a godsend to me the last ten and a half years of parenting. Seriously, this would have been golden when I had babies.

What is an exam like using TytoHome™?

Lucky for you, probably unfortunately for my 1^st grader, I was able to experience what an actual exam is like using TytoHome™.

At first I had difficulty staying connected to the device which greatly impaired my user experience. We had to end the session but Tyto, who did not know that I was writing this review, called me with in five minutes to help me troubleshoot what was happening. I uninstalled the TytoCare™ app on my phone and then re-installed it. While I was doing that, their tech department called me to offer more suggestions. Again, I wasn’t getting special treatment because I was writing this review; they didn’t know that I was writing it. The tech support person explained to me to think of the TytoHome™ device as the computer and my phone as the keyboard and to try connecting the app to my phone’s Hotspot to ensure I had a strong enough signal to complete the exam. Once I did that my phone stayed connected to the TytoHome™ device without any problem. I was really impressed with their customer service.

We tried a second time to see a clinician through our TytoHome™ app. It was really easy to set up. I already have all of my family members’ information loaded into the app on my phone so I simply selected my daughter as the person who was being seen. The TytoCare™ app walked me through a few prompts, what were the symptoms, what hurt the most, etc. Then we waited our turn in the virtual waiting room. You can see us waiting in the picture up there. I just kept thinking about how great it was that we were still in the comfort of our home rather than sitting in an uncomfortable waiting room.

The wait was about ten minutes and then we were met with a lovely physician’s assistant who asked my daughter a few questions and she talked with me too. We started the exam shortly. She connected to the TytoHome™ device which then instructed me on the screen how to take her temperature. Then she wanted to listen to my daughter’s heart and lungs. I used the stethoscope attachment and the screen on TytoHome™ which had a picture with points for me to place the stethoscope. As the PA listened, she clicked off on each point which was my indication to move to the next location. It was so easy. My daughter watched too and was amazed that the PA was able to listen to her heart even though she was in Sioux Falls, SD and we were in the Twin Cities, MN.

After listening to my daughter’s heart and lungs she looked in her throat. My daughter opened nice and wide so I didn’t need to use the tongue depressor but if she hadn’t I would have been able to do that with the tongue depressor attachment.

We moved onto her ears, which was probably the most nerve-racking part of the exam for me. Like I said before, I’ve done my own ears but I haven’t done it on anyone else so I was afraid of hurting my daughter. The PA walked me through it until she could get a good look at her inner ears and it was surprisingly easy. My daughter wasn’t in any pain at all.

Everything turned out to be okay for my daughter but the PA we met with went over a few things with her like, making sure she was drinking enough water and explaining to her that when she stands up and feels dizzy it means she’s dehydrated. She also told me what to look for in the next few days to determine if I should bring her in to a doctor’s office. She also reassured me that I could get in touch with her again if symptoms continued or got worse. It saved me a trip to urgent care and gave me piece of mind for a minimal price.

Where can I buy TytoHome™?

You can purchase your own TytoHome™ exclusively at BestBuy.com and here in the Twin Cities at select stores. To see if a store near you has them visit http://bit.ly/2UUfx9P.

For more information on how TytoHome™ works visit https://www.tytocare.com.

And if you’re looking for a good baby gift, this is it, forget the Diaper Genie or crib sheets, buy TytoHome™ for those expectant parents.