Interactive multicentre teleconferences using open source software in a team of thoracic surgeons.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Thoracic Surgery
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Effective real-time consultation is crucial for managing complex thoracic surgical cases.
• Existing teleconsultation systems may lack efficiency or accessibility for multidisciplinary teams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish an interactive, multi-site teleconsultation system for thoracic surgeons.
• To evaluate the feasibility and performance of an open-source solution for sharing medical images and facilitating communication.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Virtual Network Computing (VNC) for remote desktop sharing and OsiriX for medical image sharing.
• Implemented Voice Chatter for real-time voice communication across multiple hospital sites.
• Conducted trials connecting hospitals via gigabit ethernet, WiMAX, and ADSL.

Main Results:

• The VNC-based system facilitated efficient, real-time transfer of clinical images for interpretation.
• Surgeons reported comfortable image viewing and consultation on stable connections (ethernet, ADSL).
• The WiMAX connection experienced issues with dropped frames, impacting user comfort.

Conclusions:

• The VNC-based screen-sharing system is a viable tool for medical image interpretation in thoracic surgery.
• This teleconsultation approach supports efficient collaboration among surgical teams, particularly with multislice CT scans.
• Network stability is critical for optimal performance of real-time teleconferencing systems in healthcare.