The innovative bundling of teleradiology, telepathology, and teleoncology services

Abstract

Teleradiology, telepathology, and teleoncology are important applications of telemedicine. Recent advances in these fields include a preponderance of radiology PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) users, the implementation of around-the-clock teleradiology services at many hospitals, and the invention of the first ultrarapid whole-slide digital scanner based on the array microscope. These advances have led to the development of a new health-care-delivery clinical pathway called the ultrarapid breast care process (URBC), which has been commercialized as the UltraClinics® process. This process bundles telemammography, telepathology, and teleoncology services and has reduced the time it takes for a woman to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic breast-care planning services from several weeks to a single day. This paper describes the UltraClinics process in detail and presents the vision of a network of same-day telemedicine-enabled UltraClinics facilities, staffed by a virtual group practice of teleradiologists, telepathologists, and teleoncologists.