Initial Project Information: EUROPATH


	Updated: Jun 3, 97
EUROPATH

European Pathology assisted by Telematics for Health

[ Coordinator(s) ] [ Participants ] [ Project Objectives, ... ] [ Other Characteristics ]

Project Nr:	HC 1038	Group: V	Project Duration: 36 months
Key words:
Category:	Telepathology, a Novel Branch of Telemedicine
Summary:	Network of telepathology centres to improve quality assurance, reference database will be integrated. Compatibility and interoperability will be established between European manufacturers/microscopes. Reference image database
Mission:	Promotion of telepathology is the aim of EUROPATH. It will foster the integration of multimedia telecommunications between pathologists to improve quality assurance, accuracy and economy of routine screening, diagnosis and prognosis. Tools will be provided for remote consultation of experts and joint diagnostic activity through microscope teleconferencing. Integrated database evaluation of the prognostic value of biological data on lesions will also be encouraged. The project will establish compatibility and inter-operability in EU manufacture and design in these areas. EUROPATH participates in the project cluster entitled ACTION for Telematics Applications for Cooperative work of Healthcare Professionals.
URL:	europath.imag.fr

Coordinator(s)

Mr. Gérard Brigal

Unit Dresden

Faculté de Médecine
Domaine de la Merci
F-38706 La Tronche
France
tel: 33 76 54 94 00
fax: 33 76 54 95 49
gerard.brugal@ujf-grenoble.fr

url:
Mr. K.D. Kunze

Unit Dresden

Inst. Pathologie
Fetsderstr.74
DE-01307 Dresden
Germany
tel: 49 35 14 58 30 01
fax: . 49 35 14 58 43 58

Participants:

Name of Institution	City+Postal Code	Country	Region
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer	BRUSSELS B-1200	Belgium	BE1
Alcatel TITN Answare, SA	PARIS F-75008	France	FR1
Université Joseph Fourier,Grenoble I	GRENOBLE F-38400	France	FR71
University of Edinburgh	EDINBURGH UK-EH89YL	Italy	UKA1
University of Oxford	OXFORD UK-OX12JD	Italy	UK52
Centre de Pathologie,Dijon	DIJONF-21000	France	FR26
University of Nijmegen Faculty of Medical Sciences	NIJMEGEN NL-6525 EC	HOLLAND	NL22
Université Libre deBruxelles	BRUSSELS B-1070	Belgium	BE1

Project Objectives, Summary Description and Anticipated Results

The diagnoses and prognoses of most of severe diseases, require microscope examinations of a biopsy of the affected organ in order to evaluate the deviation of tissues, cells and/or chromosomes from normal. Observations are often complemented by analysis of biological markers for more specific diagnosis and prognosis. The annual activity in EU is 180 million microscopic preparations examined by highly dedicated specialists in 2500 laboratories for a cost of 1800 million Ecus. As shown by numerous initiatives making use of telematics in pathology examinations, "telepathology" is already an highly promising and realistic application of telemedicine which will be fostered by the Project in two directions:

the integration of multimedia telecommunication between pathologists to improve quality assurance, diagnostic accuracy and cost efficiency of screening, diagnosis and prognosis in routine practice. In this respect, the Project will provide the inter-operable tools for remote consultation of experts, consensus diagnostic through microscope tele-conferencing, and remote quantitation of biological markers
the integration of multimedia European databases for evaluating the prognostic value of the large amount of biological information now available on tissular lesions as they are provided by the rapidly increasing number of immunological markers and genetic probes. The project will establish compatibility and inter-operability between the major European manufacturers of microscopes and designers of imaging workstations and will issue the medical protocols and guidelines to support the set-up of telemedicine European services dedicated to pathology.

Other Characteristics of the Project:

Users involved
The pathologists in university hospitals, district hospitals and private laboratories will be the main users of the project outcome. The project will also set-up connections with pharmaceutic companies. The potential is 3000 medical actors in EU.

Technologies and/or approach used
The project makes use of microscope imaging workstations connected on Ethernet and EuroISDN but also integrates ATM potentialities. The project will set-up a network dedicated to pathologists for remote consultation and European reference databases.

Expected benefits for the citizen
As far as citizens are concerned, the project will set-up te quality assurance and quality control procedures for the diagnosis of severe diseases and will make the best diagnostic expertise available independtly from geographic location within EU.

Expected benefits for the users of the application
For the first time, the pathologists will access to a second opinion on difficult cases, access to banks of reference images, access to electronic records of reference cases and access to up-dated evaluation of prognostic biological markers.

Expected benefits for the European Industries
The project actually federates the European industries distributing microscope workstations in order to reach full inter-operability. This will thus strengthen their competitiveness on the expanding world-wide market of telemedicine.

Contribution to EU-policies
The project offers concrete tools for broad and equal availability of high medical expertise over Europe, normalisation of medical education and proficiency testing, and standards supporting typical European industries (software and optics).

Validation Sites

Committee of Telepathology, European Society of Pathology	Heidelberg	Rheinhessen-Pfalz	DE
Organisation of European Cancer Institutes	Milano	Lombardia	IT
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer	Brussels	Bruxelles Cap.	BE

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