Teams win award for surgical-data transfer solution

MONTREAL – The McGill University Health Centre thoracic surgery teams and the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) are proud to be selected as the 2021 winner in the Innovative Clinical Team category at the Gala des Prix TI en santé et services sociaux. The award recognizes unique and creative projects aimed at improving the patient and clinician experience, as well as increasing productivity and efficiency in the healthcare network.

“This is a first in the history of such an award. The success of our collaboration and the efforts of all involved have been rewarded,” said Carole Lapierre, associate director with the MUHC Partnerships Office who is responsible for the project to improve the thoracic surgery care pathway between the MUHC and the CISSSO.

Dr. Lorenzo Ferri is the director of Thoracic Surgery at the Montreal General Hospital. He agrees that the project is a success. “The Atlas Telemed project has really improved and clarified the trajectory of patients from the Outaouais region requiring the services of the MUHC Division of Thoracic Surgery. Through this remarkable collaboration, we have been able to streamline and optimize the management of patients suffering from lung and esophagus cancer.”

More than 200 thoracic surgeries are performed annually at the MUHC on patients from the Outaouais region and the number is growing. In 2018, clinicians from the regional health centre and MUHC surgeons concluded that the information flow between the two institutions was problematic and had the potential for errors. They embarked on a mission to ensure that all vital clinical documentation, such as consent forms, operative reports and clinical notes, are transmitted securely and quickly.

The technological solution was officially launched in January of 2021. “The implementation of Atlas Telemed (web platform), well known in the world of telehealth, supports information sharing and facilitates the coordination of care and services between the MUHC and the CISSSO,” says project coordinator, Elodie Cornier. “Patients also benefit from significant gains, such as improved continuity of care and a better overall experience.”

The support for this project has been extensive, involving healthcare workers, administrative staff, as well as the Telehealth Coordination Centre, information security and computer services, making the realization of this project a team effort. The team is hopeful that other institutions will be inspired by their work and adopt similar telehealth tools.