ACCESS TO MEDICAL IMAGING IN NORDIC AND ISOLATED COMMUNITIES: MIXED-METHODS EVALUATION OF QUALITY AND CULTURAL SAFETY OF SERVICES IN QUEBEC

The access to medical imaging is still limited for Indigenous and non-Indigenous population in remote communities. Teleradiology is now the standard of practice due to the small population size and the large geographical area to cover. The process of teleradiology is quite complex as it requires a very good coordination between the local and remote centres. Access to fast and reliable internet and strong communications channels between local and remote radiology teams are necessary to ensure good imaging quality, timely and efficient communication of imaging acquisition, transmission and interpretation. We propose to perform a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the teleradiology workflow in Northern and isolated communities of Quebec. During the first phase of the project, we will conduct an inventory of the medical imaging technologies available in both areas to assess the capabilities of data transmission and a good evaluation of the quality of the workflow among healthcare workers and stakeholders. In a second phase, we will evaluate the quality of the process as perceived by Indigenous and non-Indigenous population. At the end, we intend to provide an extensive inventory of the workflow of teleradiology in these communities and propose recommendations to improve the quality of imaging access.

Faculty Supervisor:

Carl Chartrand-Lefebvre;Gilles Soulez

Student:

Partner:

Canadian Association of Radiologists

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: