GCS e-Santé Archipel 97-1 implements remote robotic ultrasound system for better patient treatment

Dec 16 2016

The GCS e-Santé [Healthcare Cooperative Association for e-Health] Archipel 97-1 continues to develop the deployment and use of telemedicine in Guadeloupe and contributes to the improvement of medical treatment through new technologies.

Heart failure is a major public health issue in Guadeloupe

It is the top emergency at the University Hospital. This observation is alarming and mortality is increasing.

The lack of medical expertise on the islands of Marie-Galante, Les Saintes and La Désirade, as well as the insularity issues, reinforce the complexity of treating this disease quickly.

Ultrasound is an essential procedure for detecting and monitoring this disease. Medical imaging has the most widespread use worldwide (ahead of radiography, CT and MRI), but remains an “expert-dependent” technique: only a specialist can manipulate the probe and make a diagnosis.

So, in remote or medically isolated areas, patients must be moved to perform an ultrasound (emergency tests, obstetric monitoring, or monitoring of diseases for the elderly, etc.). The institutions offering these tests are saturated due to the scarcity of experts.

Implementation of a remote robotic ultrasound system for better patient treatment

Based on these findings, the GCS e-Santé Archipel 97-1 purchased a remote robotic ultrasound system, named Melody. The system developed by AdEchoTech is the result of more than 15 years of research & development.

This system allows a remote expert to control the ultrasound probe and have images returned in real-time, in addition to remote consultation, thereby allowing the patient to interact with the specialist.

On Thursday December 8, in real-time and in the presence of numerous professionals, specialists and local elected officials, the first tele-echocardiograph in Guadeloupe took place between:

• the Expert site at the University Hospital and
• the patient site at the hospital in Marie-Galante.

This program's goal is to fight against unequal access to care, to detect and diagnose heart failure, to improve the patient care pathway, to allow a reduction in transport, and to offer efficient care as close as possible to populations.

The GCS ARCHIPEL in action :

The GCS e-Santé Archipel 97-1 is supporting the implementation of the Regional Healthcare Project which sets out the guidelines and the actions to take in order to guarantee an improvement in the delivery of healthcare in the region, for both healthcare professionals and for patients.

Since its creation in 2014, several projects in the field of e-Health have already been launched:

• Regional oncology file
• Secure message system
• Wound and healing pathway and its dedicated mobile application
• Nearly 11 telemedicine procedures (emergency or scheduled)
• Centralization and piloting of emergency operations
• Support coordination.

Others are still to come and being implemented:

• MAIA (Méthode d’action pour l’intégration des services d’aide et de soins dans le champ de l’autonomie [Action method for integrating home assistance and nursing care services in the scope of autonomy]),
• Therapeutic education procedures
• Transplant patient pathways
• Imaging PDS (Permanence des soins [Continuity of care]) including secondary reading of mammograms
• And soon a mobile application to support the care of deaf patients.

Source: https://www.esante-guadeloupe.fr/portal/fr/