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Telemedicine as a Quality Improvement Facilitator in Pelvic Cancer Surgery

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Pelvic Cancer Surgery

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Abstract

Technological barriers of telemedicine and surgical telementoring have decreased during recent years, and high-quality videoconference equipment is accessible on a commercial basis. Surgical telementoring has been described as a natural fit in surgery, with solutions demonstrated for laparoscopic and robotic surgery, and mobile telemetering solutions have been demonstrated. Telemedicine is widely used in multidisciplinary teams, assessing pelvic cancer. Evidence exists for cost-effectiveness and safety of telementoring systems, but there is insufficient data for educational outcomes. This chapter focuses on the increasing demand for pelvic cancer surgeons, and how telemedicine can be used to meet societies demand for new surgeons, by improving surgical education and decreasing the obstacles created by distance.

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Acknowledgements: Mobile Medical Mentor (M3) Project Group

Knut Magne Augestad, MD, Ph.D (Research Leader Department of Research and Innovation, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine and Integrated Care and Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway), Andrius Budrionis, MSc (Research Fellow, Tromsø Telemedicine Laboratory, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine and Integrated Care, Tromsø, Norway), Etai Bogen, MD (Research fellow, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine and Integrated Care, Tromsø, Norway), Johan Gustav Bellika MSc, Ph.D (Associate Professor, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine and Integrated Care, Tromsø, Norway), Rolv- Ole Lindsetmo MD, MPh, PhD (Professor and Chief, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway), Gunnar Hartvigsen PhD (Professor, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Tromsø, Norway), Per Hasvold MSc (Research Fellow, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine and Integrated Care, Tromsø, Norway), Stig Muller MD, PhD (Consultant, Department of Surgery, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø; Norway), Hiten Patel MD, PhD (Professor, Department of Surgery, Section of Laparoscopic Urology, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway), Conor Delaney MD, Ph.D (Professor of Surgical Education and Chief Division of Colorectal Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA), Alexander Horsch PhD (Professor Institute for Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, University of Technology, Munich, Germany), Kim Mortensen MD, PhD (Consultant, Department of Surgery, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø Norway), Sture Pettersen MSc (CEO Tromsø Telemedicine Laboratory, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine and Integrated Care, Tromsø, Norway).

Disclosures

Mr. Budrionis was financially supported by a grant from HST Helse Nord. Dr. Augestad and Dr. Bogen have no financial disclosures.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Norwegian National Centre of Telemedicine and Integrated Care, University Hospital North Norway (UNN – Tromsø), Tromsø, Norway

    Knut Magne Augestad MD, PhD & Etai Bogen MD

  2. Department of Urology, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Hitendra R. H. Patel MRCS, PhD, FRCS(Urol), FRCS(Eng)

Authors
  1. Knut Magne Augestad MD, PhD
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  2. Etai Bogen MD
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  3. Hitendra R. H. Patel MRCS, PhD, FRCS(Urol), FRCS(Eng)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Knut Magne Augestad MD, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Urology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Hitendra R.H. Patel

  2. University College London Hospital, London, United Kingdom

    Tim Mould

  3. Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA

    Jean V. Joseph

  4. Colorectal Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Conor P. Delaney

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Augestad, K.M., Bogen, E., Patel, H.R.H. (2015). Telemedicine as a Quality Improvement Facilitator in Pelvic Cancer Surgery. In: Patel, H., Mould, T., Joseph, J., Delaney, C. (eds) Pelvic Cancer Surgery. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4258-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4258-4_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4257-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4258-4

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