Tele-pathology network chooses Reacts as platform

MONTREAL – Innovative Imaging Technologies Inc. (IIT) announced that the Telehealth Coordination Centre (TCC) at the Quebec University Hospital Centre (UHC) – Laval University, has selected the Reacts technology to support its telepathology service’s extemporaneous macroscopy component.

Reacts (Remote Education, Augmented Communication, Training and Supervision) is a secure, flexible and cutting-edge video-collaboration platform, created by Quebec-based Innovative Imaging Technologies Inc. (IIT).

Since 2006, the Laval University Integrated Regional Health Network has been implementing a telepathology service to improve diagnostic support to Eastern Quebec’s facilities, given the shortage of pathologists in remote areas. This service is provided in 21 healthcare facilities across Eastern Quebec, making it one of North America’s most ambitious programs.

Telepathology is a specialized field of telemedicine that consists in providing remote pathology services using a slide scanner, a telecommunication network and a work station for the consulting pathologist. This service enables pathologists to examine surgical specimens remotely in real time.

Reacts will be used for that specific purpose, replacing the conventional videoconferencing codecs currently used in facilities associated with the Quebec University Hospital Centre’s TCC.

The telepathology services offered by the Telehealth Coordination Centre at Quebec’s UHC stands out due to the range and scope of its objectives, the four most important of which are:

1. 1. Ensuring extemporaneous services are available across its entire territory at all times
2. 2. Secure substantial gains in terms of service delivery time and quality for surgical personnel in remote areas by avoiding repeated interventions or delays due to the lack of medical staff, among other benefits
3. 3. Facilitate the recruiting and retention of surgeons in remote areas to improve regionalization and bring services closer to various communities
4. 4. Curb professional isolation by enabling pathologists in remote areas to obtain feedback from colleagues faster and more frequently

“Telepathology can provide significant assistance when no pathologist is physically present in the facility where the sample is taken,” said Dr. Yanick Beaulieu (pictured), founding president of IIT. “Reacts provides high-quality videoconferencing capabilities and a wide range of interactive collaboration tools in a highly secured platform, thereby enabling pathologists to interact remotely with technicians and provide precision guidance during the macroscopic examination of surgical specimen. We are proud to support the telepathology program’s extemporaneous macroscopy component.”

“Compared to current networks used elsewhere in the world, leveraging real-time macroscopic examination as part of the telepathology process is a unique component of the Quebec University Hospital Center’s TCC’s network,” said Dr. Bernard Têtu, pathologist and network founder, who still uses telepathology.

“Reacts is an innovative, low-cost technology suited for providing videoconferencing services for extemporaneous macroscopy,” said Olga Paquin, department head, Telehealth Coordination Centre, Quebec University Hospital Centre. “The positive results of tests conducted by the Quebec UHC’s TCC led Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services to recommend the deployment and use of the Reacts solution, which safely meets the needs of this specialty’s clientele. Reacts’ innovative features make it a low-cost, secure and easy-to-deploy videoconferencing solution.”

Reacts will be rolled out to all 21 facilities across the territory serviced by the Quebec University Hospital Centre’s Telehealth Coordination Centre in 2018.

Four telehealth coordination centres (TCCs) were created in 2015, following the implementation of the Quebec Health Ministry’s governance policy for telehealth. Each TCC covers one of the province’s four Regional Integrated Health Network (RUIS) territories, and is integrated with a University Hospital Center (UHC).

The Quebec UHC – Laval University’s TCC supports all institutions in the Laval RUIS territory, including seven health regions and ten different institutions, covering all of eastern Quebec. It serves a population of 1.7 million people.

The Quebec UHC – Laval University TCC’s team works in close collaboration with the 10 clinical and 10 technology telehealth pilots stationed in their institutions, to develop, implement and ensure monitoring of the telehealth network supporting all institutions within its service area.

For more information, visit the Quebec University Hospital Centre Telehealth Coordination Center’s website https://telesantechudequebec.ca/

About Reacts

Reacts (Remote Education, Augmented Communication, Training and Supervision) is a secure, flexible and cutting-edge video-collaboration platform, created by Quebec-based Innovative Imaging Technologies Inc. (IIT). Its president, Dr. Yanick Beaulieu, leads a multi-disciplinary team specialized in multimedia and software development. This passionate team pushes the limits to create and perfect interactive audio-visual tools for remote communication within Reacts, in order to better meet the needs of both the general public and professionals worldwide. IIT is currently collaborating with several major hospitals in Québec, Canada and abroad, as well as innovation and healthcare focused organizations like Joule, a Canadian Medical Association company. For more information, visit www.reacts.com.