Medical teleconference about thoracic surgery using free Internet software

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Surgical Education
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Advanced academic networks are increasingly used for surgical teleconferences.
• Reports on using free internet teleconferencing software for surgical purposes are scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using free internet teleconferencing software for surgical technique teleconferences.
• To assess the practicality of platforms like Skype, USTREAM, and Dropbox in a surgical context.

Main Methods:

• Conducted five surgical teleconferences between April and September 2010 using Skype and USTREAM for video communication.
• Utilized PowerPoint presentations and surgical videos, shared via Dropbox, e-mail, or mail prior to sessions.
• Enabled simultaneous slide presentations across all connected institutions.

Main Results:

• All five surgical teleconferences were successfully completed.
• Minor disruptions, such as occasional Skype connection drops, were noted but did not impede overall success.
• Demonstrated the viability of using common internet software for remote surgical collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Internet teleconferencing with readily available software packages is a feasible method for surgical education.
• This approach is expected to become more prevalent with advancements in internet infrastructure.
• Highlights the potential for cost-effective and accessible remote surgical communication.