Lian Zou1,2,3, Xin Chen4, Chuan Xu3, Lei Xing5, Yaoqin Xie1,3. 1. Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 2. Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 3. Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China. 4. Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu/Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 5. Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
Abstract
Background: The medical alliance and telemedicine are considered to be important means to solve the imbalance between regions and shortage of professionals and promote the homogenization of medical services. Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital Group (SPPHG) is a network of hospitals with different levels of expertise, and all the members with radiotherapy form a radiotherapy network (RTN). Addressing the inadequacy and imbalance of radiotherapy services of Sichuan Province, China, a tele-radiotherapy system for RTN-SPPHG is designed, which includes the business model and corresponding technical implementation of an information system. Materials and Methods: In the RTN-SPPHG, a distributed remote collaboration business model is explored and a tele-radiotherapy information system is customized for this telemedicine model. Both the business model and tailored information system were evaluated in actual use. Results: Based on the tele-radiotherapy system of RTN-SPPHG, multitype hospitals are linked together and serve as a whole. Through the internet, the experience of experts of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital is effectively deployed to member hospitals at the grassroot level. Conclusions: A close-knit medical alliance based on a tele-radiotherapy system should be a way to rapidly improve radiotherapy services and promote the homogenization of service in a region.
Background: The medical alliance and telemedicine are considered to be important means to solve the imbalance between regions and shortage of professionals and promote the homogenization of medical services. Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital Group (SPPHG) is a network of hospitals with different levels of expertise, and all the members with radiotherapy form a radiotherapy network (RTN). Addressing the inadequacy and imbalance of radiotherapy services of Sichuan Province, China, a tele-radiotherapy system for RTN-SPPHG is designed, which includes the business model and corresponding technical implementation of an information system. Materials and Methods: In the RTN-SPPHG, a distributed remote collaboration business model is explored and a tele-radiotherapy information system is customized for this telemedicine model. Both the business model and tailored information system were evaluated in actual use. Results: Based on the tele-radiotherapy system of RTN-SPPHG, multitype hospitals are linked together and serve as a whole. Through the internet, the experience of experts of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital is effectively deployed to member hospitals at the grassroot level. Conclusions: A close-knit medical alliance based on a tele-radiotherapy system should be a way to rapidly improve radiotherapy services and promote the homogenization of service in a region.
Entities:
Keywords:
cancer; medical alliance; radiotherapy; tele-radiotherapy; telehealth; telemedicine