The Challenges of a Complex and Innovative Telehealth
Project: A Qualitative Evaluation of the Eastern Quebec
Telepathology Network
Hassane Alami1,2*, Jean-Paul Fortin1,3, Marie-Pierre Gagnon1,2,4, Hugo Pollender1, Bernard Têtu2,3,
France Tanguay5
Abstract
Background: The Eastern Quebec Telepathology Network (EQTN) has been implemented in the province of Quebec
(Canada) to support pathology and surgery practices in hospitals that are lack of pathologists, especially in rural and
remote areas. This network includes 22 hospitals and serves a population of 1.7 million inhabitants spread over a vast
territory. An evaluation of this network was conducted in order to identify and analyze the factors and issues associated
with its implementation and deployment, as well as those related to its sustainability and expansion.
Methods: Qualitative evaluative research based on a case study using: (1) historical analysis of the project documentation
(newsletters, minutes of meetings, articles, ministerial documents, etc); (2) participation in meetings of the committee
in charge of telehealth programs and the project; and (3) interviews, focus groups, and discussions with different
stakeholders, including decision-makers, clinical and administrative project managers, clinicians (pathologists and
surgeons), and technologists. Data from all these sources were cross-checked and synthesized through an integrative
and interpretative process.
Results: The evaluation revealed numerous socio-political, regulatory, organizational, governance, clinical, professional,
economic, legal and technological challenges related to the emergence and implementation of the project. In addition
to technical considerations, the development of this network was associated with major changes and transformations
of production procedures, delivery and organization of services, clinical practices, working methods, and clinical-
administrative processes and cultures (professional/organizational).
Conclusion: The EQTN reflects the complex, structuring, and innovative projects that organizations and health systems
are required to implement today. Future works should be more sensitive to the complexity associated with the emergence
of telehealth networks and no longer reduce them to technological considerations.
Keywords: Telepathology Network, Telehealth Implementation, Evaluation, Sustainability, Healthcare Services
Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Citation:
Alami H, Fortin JP, Gagnon MP, Pollender H, Têtu B, Tanguay F. The challenges of a complex and innovative
telehealth project: a qualitative evaluation of the Eastern Quebec Telepathology Network.
Int J Health Policy Manag.
2018;7(5):421–432. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2017.106
*Correspondence to:
Hassane Alami
Email:
hassane.alami.1@ulaval.ca
Article History:
Received: 8 May 2017
Accepted: 29 August 2017
ePublished: 13 September 2017
Original Article
Full list of authors’ affiliations is available at the end of the article.
2018, 7(5), 421–432 doi
Implications for policy makers
• Telehealth is primarily a health system transformation challenge: the importance of a vision and strategy to improve the organization,
coordination, financing and integration of health care and services using technology as a lever.
• Political will, organizational, clinical, administrative and technological leadership are central to ongoing innovation: complementarity and
synergy between the stakeholders and the different health system governance levels in a co-construction and co-evolution approaches adapted
to project various stages and sustainability.
• Telehealth involves changes in cultures, models of production and delivery of services, communication modes, practices and uses: the
importance of managing change in a collaborative, participatory and inclusive approach of all actors (political, professional and organizational).
• Technology should be thought from an open-ended perspective: needs and uses are what gives value to the technology (eg, end users may find
and adapt other applications not originally foreseen).
• Developmental-accompanying evaluation is essential to better understand the complexity and dynamics of IT projects. It makes it possible to
share knowledge and support decision-making throughout the life of the project and beyond.
Implications for the public
This article allows the reader to have a global vision and overall understanding of the inherent issues of a complex telehealth network with a systemic
dimension. Indeed, it sheds light on certain conditions that must be met and challenges that need to be addressed so that populations and the
healthcare system can benefit from the potential of telehealth in improving access, continuity and quality of health care and services.
Key Messages
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432422
Background
Telehealth has the potential to improve access to care and the
continuity of health services, especially for rural and remote
areas, commonly called “medical deserts.”1 Because of its
geographic and demographic situation and the drive of some
leaders, the eastern part of the province of Quebec (Canada)
has been historically innovative in the field of telehealth. This
is the context in which the Eastern Quebec Telepathology
Network (EQTN), one of the largest in the world in terms of
the number of participating organizations and jurisdictions,2,3
emerged.
Telepathology is a specialized field of telehealth. In short,
telepathology is “the electronic transmission of pathological
images, usually derived from microscopes, from one location
to another, for the purpose of interpretation and diagnosis.” 4
It involves the practice of anatomopathology (commonly
called “pathology”) at a distance. Telepathology can be used
to establish a histopathological diagnosis, obtain a second
medical opinion, or provide distance training by means
of information and communications technologies (ICTs).4-7
Telepathology allows a number of specialists (eg, pathologists
and surgeons) and organizations (service recipients/requester
and service providers/respondents) to network, by facilitating
an exchange of clinical-administrative data and images in
digital format, and sharing expertise. Telepathology can
help improve access, quality, continuity, and efficiency of
pathology services, particularly in rural and remote areas.8-13
However, telepathology, like any innovative and structuring
telehealth project, is accompanied by major changes and
transformations inherent to the growing importance of ICTs
in health systems reform and reorganization strategies.
This article describes the results of the EQTN evaluation and
aims to identify and understand factors that have influenced
the implementation, operation and results of this complex
and innovative project. We present an analysis of the socio-
political, regulatory, organizational, governance, clinical,
professional, economic, legal and technological dimensions
that conditioned and oriented its planning, emergence,
development, and implementation, as well as the conditions
for its success, sustainability, deployment and expansion.
The Quebec Health System
In Canada, the organization and management of health
policies are under provincial jurisdiction. The Federal
Government contributes to the funding of provincial health
systems through federal transfers that are conditioned by the
respect of certain conditions.14 In Quebec, the health system
is close to the Beveridgian model: mainly tax-funded, public,
universal and almost free from the point of view of service
users.15
With respect to governance, two main levels are present: (1)
the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MHSS), which
ensures close coordination and regulation by setting priorities,
objectives and allocation of resources; and (2) the Institutions
that deliver services. They include 22 Integrated Health and
Social Services Centers (IHSSC) that result from a larger
merging process to integrate, on a territorial basis, all the
different functions and institutions related to health and social
services, including hospitals and primary care services. Nine
of them also include a university mission related to research,
teaching and evaluation. They are designed as IUHSSS (U =
university). IHSSC/IUHSSS provide the majority of public
primary care and social services. The Institutions also include
four university hospitals (UH) that deliver for the province
specialized and subspecialized services and two specialized
University Institute for Cardiology. They have a supraregional
mission that requires them to cover several health regions.
The four UH have always been central for the development
of telehealth in Quebec. IHSSC/IUHSSS and hospitals are
funded mainly in the form of overall budgets, based primarily
on past expenditures, although activity-based funding is
being generalized.
Quebec has also created Integrated University Health
Networks (IUHN), attached to the four faculties of medicine
in the province. Their role is to foster complementarity,
cooperation and integration of healthcare organizations with
a university mission and the universities to which they are
affiliated. Their role has been associated on a territorial basis.
They have been given a special active role to foster telehealth
development and implementation.
Finally, there are also medical clinics and family medicine
groups that primarily provide general medical services and
may, in some cases, provide more specialized services. For
the vast majority of their primary care or hospital services,
physicians are mainly paid by activity and are bound by
service agreements with the organizations where they work.
The Eastern Quebec Telepathology Network
In 2004, the Quebec MHSS asked each of the four IUHN of
the province to prioritize two telehealth projects. The IUHN-
Laval University (IUHN-LU) has opted for telepathology
(for more technical and clinical information about this
telepathology project see Têtu et al17 and Perron et al18). This
choice resulted from the fact that the supply of pathology
services has become a problematic issue in Quebec due to the
province’s vast size and the uneven geographical distribution
of the population. This situation is explained by the following:
(1) a lack of staffing and difficulties in recruiting and retaining
pathologists in remote areas; (2) difficult working conditions
for pathologists when it comes to ensuring continuous
services, due to the lack of replacement staff during holidays
and difficult travel in winter; and (3) an over-specialization
in pathology which, because of the risk of under-utilization
of pathologists’ cutting edge expertise, makes it difficult to
practice in small communities. This situation is also impacting
the recruitment and retention of surgeons and other clinicians
requiring pathology services in hospitals where there are no
pathologists.
According to MHSS figures, the IUHN-LU (1.7 million
inhabitants for a territory of 410 000 km2) numbered 59
pathologists in 2017. This represents a shortfall of at least five
pathologists when it comes to providing coverage of all service
requests, so leading to important waiting times that can affect
quality of patient care.19 This situation has remained relatively
stable for several years. Among IUHN-LU pathologists, some
59,3% (35/59) are located in the capital (Quebec City) region.
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432 423
The others (24/59) are distributed unevenly across a vast
territory and their long-term retention is uncertain, especially
given the age of most practicing pathologists.
Initiated in 2006, the EQTN was jointly funded by the MHSS
and Canada Health Infoway (CHI) in early 2008 with a
non-recurring budget of slightly more than CA$6.2 million.
This funding covered mainly technological devices. In 2011,
the first clinical uses were initiated. The EQTN currently
has 22 participating locations, including the University
Hospital of Quebec-Laval University (UHQ-LU), which
has a supraregional mission with a “safety net” role, which
results in coverage of specific requests for services from other
participating regions (Figure 1).
Unlike several similar projects, where the tertiary center
is responsible for answering all requests for services from
remote areas (eg, University Health Network Telepathology
in Ontario21), this project has opted for a strategy based on
inter-organizational and interregional collaboration. Indeed,
it networks, both vertically and horizontally, organizations
from the same region as well as those from different regions.
The other strategy consists of targeting and being limited to
services responding to urgent needs of an extemporaneous
and a second opinion nature, especially in oncology. This
strategy was seen as beneficial for the population and is
sensitive to the issue of cancer and adapted to the payment
conditions of the funders.
The EQTN project was designed to implement a clinical
telepathology network as a viable and effective solution to
providing support for IUHN-LU hospitals in order to avoid
shortages in pathology services and to expand the range of
services provided.
Evaluation: Scope and Objectives
The specific EQTN evaluation project was initiated in
2013. It was intended to provide information for decision-
making regarding project orientations and improvements
to be implemented for its successful deployment within
a perspective of sustainability and scaling-up across the
province.
The main objectives of this evaluation were the following: (1)
to study the functioning of the project in relation to the actors,
issues, and strategies used; (2) to better understand the results
and effects of use on access, continuity and quality of services
and work, service organization, and practice transformation;
(3) to explore socio-political, regulatory, organizational,
governance, clinical, professional, economic, legal and
technological factors influencing implementation, adoption
and use, and ultimately the sustainability and dissemination
of telepathology; and (4) to identify conditions that may be
useful to ensure better integration and diffusion of telehealth
in health systems.
Methods
Evaluative Approach
To take into account the characteristics of the project –
innovative, complex, dynamic, and evolving – and decision-
makers’ need to monitor and integrate the lessons of the
evaluation into their decision-making processes, we opted for
a case study, particularly appropriate when the focus of study
cannot be separated from its context.22,23
We adopted a utilization-focused evaluation approach24
whose aim is the following: (1) descriptive and explanatory, to
determine how, according to certain rules, stakeholders cope
and deal with complex phenomena25; (2) comprehensive, eg,
to take stock of all facts and issues related to the unfolding of
the project26,27; (3) participatory and pluralistic, to include the
perspectives of the various stakeholders, partners, and actors
involved in the project24,28; (4) progressive (developmental) and
formative, in order to ensure co-construction, field support,
and translation of knowledge in action with all the actors,
taking into account the different stages of the project29; and
(5) summative, to assess the achievement as regards the initial
objectives.
Conceptual Framework
To structure the approach, ensure its integration into the
overall project, and complete the proposed evaluation plan, we
used the Strategic framework for a useful and used evaluation
(Figure 2).30 This framework makes it possible to take into
account the characteristics and different stages of the project,
the actors and stakeholders, the environment, the issues, as
well as the different levels of intervention. It also facilitates the
choice of methods and the evaluation and knowledge-sharing
strategies to be adopted as appropriate given the innovative
nature of the project.
Data Collection Activities
Data used for the evaluation included (1) a historical analysis,
over a 10-year period, of all documentation related to the
project (eg, newsletters, minutes of meetings, activity tracking
and monitoring documents, protocols and guidelines,
periodic presentations, use evaluation reports, articles, and
documents from government and funding agencies), the goal
of which was to reconstruct the sequence of key events and
situate them in their context, while highlighting the critical
decisions and the reasons they were made, as well as the
role of the different actors in the evolution of the project;
Figure 1. The Territory Covered by the EQTN, at a Given Time,
With Examples of Interactions Between the Different Participating
Organizations.20
Abbreviation: EQTN, Eastern Quebec Telepathology Network.
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432424
(2) participant observation of meetings of the governance
committee in charge of the project; and (3) interviews,
meetings, discussions, and exchanges (formal and informal)
with project stakeholders, including policy-makers, managers,
clinical, technological, and administrative project officials,
pathologists, surgeons, and technologists.
The people interviewed were identified primarily by the
project team as well as by way of project documents and
reports. Internet searches were also conducted to identify
other key people in participating organizations. Participant
selection was guided by the need to gather a diversity of
perspectives from the different stakeholders involved in the
project.
Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim.
Subsequently, verbatim, documents and observation notes
were subjected to a qualitative thematic content analysis,31
using a deductive-inductive approach based on the framework
and new themes emerging from the data, with the help of
NVivo-10 software.32 Analyses were carried out by HA and
HP; a third person was able to intervene when there was a
difference in perspective in the case of divergence (JPF). In
order to increase our interpretation and analysis capacity, we
cross-checked the results from the different sources described
above, in line with the principle of data triangulation.33 Thus,
we were able to formulate and re-evaluate our conclusions by
regularly returning to the primary sources of data to detect
possible variations and convergences/divergences.31,34 This
approach made it possible to verify, qualify, and complete our
findings and observations. Moreover, the proximity to the
project of certain authors also made it possible to establish
trust reports, which allowed for communication and contact
with all actors. This element also forced us to adopt a reflexive
approach throughout the evaluation, in particular by having a
critical look at all the data collected.35
Given our evaluation mandate within a healthcare organization,
we have applied the principles of the “Guidelines for Ethical
Conduct” recommended by the Canadian Evaluation Society
(integrity/honesty, accountability, confidentiality, respect,
and responsibility for people’s welfare).36
Results
We conducted 19 interviews (9 clinicians, 7 managers
and decision-makers, and 3 technologists) and made 3
observation site visits. We observed and participated to 4
project team meetings (2 hours each), 2 biannual meetings
involving participating locations (3 hours each), and 15
meetings of the telehealth executive committee – including
the MHSS representatives – where the telepathology project
was on the agenda (2.5 hours each). We also had access to the
project documentation (project planning, project operations
manual, articles related to the project, use evaluation report,
minutes of meetings, use tracking reports, project newsletter,
telepathology clinical guidelines, international telepathology
cooperation documents, pathology and surgery medical
staffing plans, closing report of the project and ministry’s
telehealth governance plan).
The same information was often derived from interviews,
meetings, documentation, or observation. In fact, we
applied triangulation principles and merged these data into
a coherent or integrative-interpretative synthesis. The results
are structured according to the following criteria (from the
evaluation framework): (1) use and effects; (2) clinical,
professional and human aspects; (3) organizational aspects;
(4) governance and strategic aspects; (5) technological aspects;
(6) legal aspects; and (7) economic and financing aspects.
Use and Effects
Important evaluations were made by colleagues, mainly
focused on the planned uses of telepathology, were conducted
during the project.3,20,37,38
Our study added more information. Indeed, for the expected
effects, data confirm that two-stage surgeries, transfers of
patients from remote areas to urban centers, as well as service
breaks in critical situations, were avoided. Improvements
in medical care and diagnostic delay were also mentioned.
Telepathology also helped curtail pathologist travel to several
locations, a phenomenon which has resulted in clinical time
gains.
Our evaluation showed that several teams used the technology
for applications that were not initially planned, including
for emergency biopsies, macroscopies, routine histologies,
immuhistochemistry, cytology, education, and even
teleautopsy. According to surgeons, telepathology could also
be relevant for other clinical activities and other specialties
(eg, endoscopy, gynecology, and orthopedics).
“(...) In endoscopy, we have never used it, while there are
certain polyps that would benefit from being analyzed on
site by telepathology. These are pieces that become damaged
during back and forth travel and so become difficult to
analyze (...)” (R1) [all interview quotes have been translated
from French to English].
Also, the use of technology has been influenced by a
combination of factors, including the evolution of scientific
evidence and changes in clinical protocols, which have had a
significant impact on the scope of the project:
“(...) Surgeons’ requests have changed. The most important
demands were for sentinel lymph nodes (for breast cancer).
(...) Following certain knowledge advances and according to
[new] protocol, a lymph node is not important if the tumor
is smaller than one centimeter. This phenomenon has greatly
Figure 2. Strategic Framework for a Useful and Used Evaluation.30
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432 425
reduced the demand for telepathology (...). A resulting
decrease in activity in this regard has been in the order of
27% (...)” (R2).
Clinical, Professional, and Human Aspects
Interpersonal relationships have been central in the decision
as to whether or not to use telepathology. Indeed, much of
the activity has emerged through existing trust relationships
involving surgeons/pathologists/technologists. These include
people from the same organization, as well as from two or
more different organizations.
In addition, thanks to the dynamic described above, new
practices procedures were developed and negotiated
locally between pathologists and surgeons from different
organizations (requester and respondent) to facilitate work
involving telepathology beyond existing clinical protocols.
These alliances and partnerships have evolved over time and
vary according to the context.
“(…) We [pathologist-ENT, and surgeon] have established
standards and criteria that help everyone (surgeon/
pathologist/technologist). For example, it’s the surgeon who
sets the tone in the operating-room (...)” (R3).
Surprisingly, telepathology was found to be of little help
when it comes to promoting the recruitment and retention
of pathologists in remote areas. It has also been reported that
pathologists increasingly want to practice as a team. This issue
concerns the quality of the work environment. On the other
hand, telepathology has enabled recruiting and retaining
surgeons in certain locations. Some surgeons mentioned that
they would not have joined the organization or would have
left it without telepathology.
Additionally, team dynamics were important, and even
decisive, for the use (or non-use) of telepathology in networked
work contexts or more centralized (or concentrated)
organization contexts. For example, in one of the most active
locations of the project, new pathologists could be trained in
the use of telepathology by local team members in favour of
the approach.
“(...) All the pathologists in the location in question (...) use
telepathology. This allows everyone to acquire experience
in this regard; they can exchange information about the
cases they come across via telepathology. They collaborate
extensively, thus enhancing their expertise. Everyone can
develop their expertise (...)” (R2).
This example illustrates the extensive support of some
clinicians who worked on the project and enabled the necessary
collaboration initiatives and partnerships for the development
of telepathology services. Indeed, it appears that the decision
to use telepathology is not only based on organizational will.
Because of their professional autonomy, pathologists and
surgeons decide to use (or not to use) telepathology and
do so, to a greater or lesser extent, regardless, or not, of the
organizational decision.
Moreover, the dynamic collaboration of the “pathologist-
technologist-surgeon” trio has been highlighted as decisive in
the success or failure of telepathology. The evolution of this
trio and the transformation of roles and responsibilities were
underlined in the context of virtual network. In this sense, the
importance of technologists in the telepathology services chain
has been highlighted. It has also been reported that the role of
technologists (eg, nature and load of work, responsibilities)
was not sufficiently taken into account at the beginning of the
project. In fact, when it comes to telepathology, technologists
are required to digitize glass slides, take certain samples, and
carry out procedures usually reserved for pathologists.
This situation was observed in several locations in remote
areas that do not have pathologists. In such locations,
technologists have become the “extension of the pathologist’s
arm” in the operating room (OR), given that no pathologist is
actually on hand. In these locations, technologists have come
to work closely with the surgeon, who in the past worked with
a pathologist physically present in or close to the OR. Thus,
the use of telepathology has relied strongly on the skills of
technologists. According to some interviewed clinicians, it is
important to improve the expertise of technologists so that
they can carry out activities requested by the remotely located
pathologist. For the latter, this competence also creates trust
within the pathologist/technologist/surgeon trio.
This new working configuration where the technologist has
a preponderant role raises other professional (eg, reserved
acts), economic (eg, expertise recognition and remuneration),
and legal (eg, responsibility) questions and issues. For
example, we observed that in one of the participating rural
hospitals without onsite pathologist, a technologist found
herself working as a “Laboratory Head.” With the use of
telepathology, she carried out activities that were usually
reserved for the pathologist. This technologist had a crucial
role when it came to maintaining a certain level of surgical
activity in this hospital.
This last point raises the issue of the recognition of a “new”
status for technologists working in remote hospitals that do
not have pathologists but that do offer surgical services. As
such, the question of training and accreditation has been
highlighted. As part of this project, the positive dynamic in
some environments has led some pathologists to (informally)
train technologists to use telepathology. Technologists have
seen their work evolve and have to some extent become
“pathologists’ assistants.” However, this status is not yet
recognized in Quebec.
We have also observed the emergence of new modes of
practice. One pathologist brings along digitized glass slides
to read during his frequent travels between two provinces.
Technology has also allowed pathologists who are unable to
travel (eg, for family reasons or because of inclement weather)
to work from home.
The project has also faced certain difficulties in ensuring
coverage of second-opinion or sub-specialized services,
particularly in academic hospitals. Pathologists felt they were
overwhelmed by the usual demands for services within their
own organizations. Their fear of being overwhelmed by even
more requests for services from other organizations partly
explains their reluctance to use telepathology. However,
other pathologists believe that telepathology could improve
practice conditions in these centers, thus ensuring greater
supraregional availability for these services.
Moreover, we observed that most of the clinician and
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432426
manager “champions” who were able to implement and
give legitimacy to the project are near retirement. Thus,
the question of availability and training as regards the
next generation of clinicians and managers is critical, and
some interviewees pointed out the vulnerability of such
an “individual-dependent” project. The risk of loss of
“organizational memory” and “experiential wisdom” related
to the project is significant. It was also reported in meetings
and interviews that many professionals, including surgeons
and dermatologists, were unaware of the project, or did not see
its relevance or usefulness, when in fact they could have used
it in some clinical situations. Promotion of the project and
communication about it thus appear to have been insufficient.
Organizational Aspects
The project was designed to help improve the organization
of services, not only for pathology but also for surgery.
However, it was reported from various data sources that the
link between telepathology and the organization of IUHN-
LU pathology and surgery services was unclear. The role of
pathology, telepathology, and even telehealth on a broader
scale in service organization plans and strategic orientations
was murkier still.
The project was also highly dependent on changes in medical
staff, especially the extensive mobility of pathologists in
regional and sub-specialized hospitals. This mobility has
impacted the supply and organization of services, especially
since the critical mass of clinicians in the various settings was
very low. This situation has created significant differences in
the ability of hospitals to plan and provide in-house services or
respond to requests from other organizations. Staff movement
has been observed when it comes to telepathology itself,
where it has contributed to a trend toward concentration of
pathologists in a “regional hub.” This mobility has resulted in
readjustments and changes in existing alliances, agreements,
and collaborations among certain organizations.
“(...) Telepathology was an encouraging and catalytic element
in my leaving the (...) [former organization]. For me, by
joining (...) [a new organization], there was the possibility
of covering all the regions through this regional hub where
telepathology would have a role to play (...)” (R2).
At the same time, organizations in the regions have expressed
fears of losing their physicians following the implementation
of telepathology and that pathologist positions would likely
be transferred to regional centers where services could
be provided via telepathology. The fact that at least two
organizations which were using telepathology indeed lost
their pathologist added credibility to this fear, regardless of
the real reason of their departure. Organizations have thus
expressed the need to be better informed on the management
of pathologist positions in light of telepathology. This point
was not actually taken into account when the project was
implemented.
At another level, issues have been raised in relation to requests
for services. For example, the question of OR management
has been reported in documents, meetings and interviews. A
frozen section session via telepathology may take more time
than a session with the pathologist onsite (eg, to digitize glass
slides, different communication mode). According to current
performance and efficiency criteria, this situation may not
allow for optimal OR management, either for the organization
or for the surgeons whose remuneration does not take this
element into account. This situation partly explains the
fact that hospitals continue to use “itinerant” pathologists
for frozen section sessions scheduled for a particular day
of the week. However, this performance criterion has been
deplored by other clinicians and managers. The latter point
out that even if a frozen section session lasts one hour, this
procedure is always more efficient than transferring the
patient or performing a second surgery (eg, a surgeon may
first operate on a patient to obtain a specimen. He sends it to
the pathologist for analysis. The answer may take several days
or weeks. The patient will then be operated a second time
when the analyses are available.). Furthermore, the decision
of discontinuing the use of telepathology for frozen sections
should not be taken before solutions to improve the efficiency
have been investigated. However, no such improvement
procedure has been planned with the implementation.
It was also found that organizing collaborative ventures
that involved requesting and respondent locations varied
according to the expertise, interests, and needs of the various
organizations. The main point here is that the diversity of local
contexts has led teams and organizations to work differently.
Governance and Strategic Aspects
The evaluation highlighted several elements that go far
beyond the project under review. As for telehealth in general in
Quebec, the planning and macro-management of the project
were centralized and mostly “techno-centered,” in particular
concerning the MHSS and some regional boards. Some
clinicians explained their refusal to use telepathology given
this “top down” approach where they were not consulted, nor
sufficiently integrated into the project:
“(…) Physicians refused telepathology because it was
imposed from the top [the Ministry and the organization]
and they were not consulted beforehand. It should not be
forgotten that doctors have autonomy with respect to their
practice (...)” (R4).
Furthermore, the nature and definition of the roles,
responsibilities, type and degree of involvement, and
influences of the various participant organizations were
unclear. For example, the supraregional responsibility of the
academic hospital of reference was not clear to all the players,
in particular concerning how it should fulfill its “safety net”
role in order to ensure coverage for subspecialty services in
remote areas.
In this case, the nature of incentives and conditions for
service coverage were unclear for all organizations. Based
on our information, no real procedure has been put in place
to prioritize cases to be analyzed among organizations and
their pathologists. In fact, service priorities are still primarily
oriented toward in-house cases, where the pathologist works,
instead of more urgent cases in another hospital. This last
point puts into question the true nature of the contracts
between organizations participating in the network, and
therefore the obligation to comply with them.
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432 427
On another level, there was a consensus that the approach of
those providing funding was relatively narrow with respect
to project operation and technology use. The administrative
constraints inherent to the performance indicators required
for payment by sponsors were regularly brought up. The
project team considered these indicators to be poorly adapted
to local realities and opportunities and felt that they did not
take the unique nature of each context into account. This
situation has created difficulties for teams that have tried to
adapt and align technology to their context, as well as to the
evolution of their local needs and expertise. Managers and
clinicians reported that a more open approach to the use of
telepathology would have favored a more successful adoption
and use of available technology:
“(...) The calculation is biased; the information received is
used for calculation. These are real applications, but there are
a lot of applications, such as support to macroscopic, that are
not counted and don’t appear anywhere in the statistics. And
when you look at the official figures, it gives the impression
that it’s stabilized or that it doesn’t progress (...)” (R5).
In addition, many questions related to service contracts (eg,
interoperability and archiving) have been raised. Managers
and clinicians strongly agreed on the importance of setting
up a national registry for the management, storage, and
archiving of virtual slides. This national registry would lead
to harmonize practices and better coordinate and integrate
services.
In the same vein, it was also reported that a catalog of
telepathology services should be developed to enable
organizations to learn about all the services available.
Managers and clinicians also found it essential to identify the
various possible interconnections between this project and
other provincial digital health initiatives, notably the “Quebec
Health Record,” whose objective is to facilitate the collection,
conservation, and consultation of patient-related medico-
administrative information.
Technological Aspects
The speed of the high performance digitizer would not allow
for more than one slide to be scanned every three minutes,
which could slow pathologists’ ability to respond to requests
made through telepathology. The digitising speed is however
largely dependent on whether slides are being scanned at 20x
or 40x and some pathologists prefer the highest power despite
the additional time required. According to our observations
and through our discussions and meetings with clinicians and
project teams, serious questions were also raised regarding file
size, speed of transmission, and archive locations. In addition,
it was pointed out the need to have dynamic and sufficiently
flexible systems to be able to take account the evolution of
clinical and organizational needs.
Another major barrier highlighted was that the technological
systems of the different organizations and those used by
clinicians in their homes are not interoperable:
“(...) For example, when it comes to hospital (Y) and the other
hospitals in the region, each has its own operating system
for pathology. They are not able to communicate with each
other at all. (...) We also have a pathologist from hospital (X)
who helps us by working from home, but she cannot connect
because she doesn’t have the same system (…)” (R4).
Legal Aspects
The project’s clinical director raised a number of forensic
issues concerning the use of telepathology. He has asserted
that without the clarification of certain issues, the adoption
and use of telepathology could be difficult.
In Quebec, the legislator requires the creation of a record both
by the service requester and the service provider. This is also
the position of the Canadian Medical Protective Association
(CMPA). However, this requirement differs greatly from
the current nature of the practice where pathologists
receive e-mail requests. In this case, the receiving pathology
department proceeds only with the creation of a request in
the computer system, but does not create or open a record. In
addition, the Act respecting health services and social services
(ARHSS-2005) and the College of Physicians of Quebec
require that two organizations that collaborate and use
telehealth must sign an agreement. This situation is also new
in pathology because traditionally pathologists who receive
requests for consultation by regular mail do not require that
an agreement is signed between the organizations involved.
In addition, the CMPA recommends that all images
examined in telepathology be stored in accordance with
current conservation schedules. For organizations, this
recommendation would imply to have substantial space to
store these images. The Clinical Director also questioned the
necessity and relevance of conserving all the images produced
by telepathology. However, it pointed out that virtual images
likely to be the subject of litigation could be fully preserved.
Economic and Financing Aspects
It was out of the scope of the present evaluation to quantify
the systemic added value of telepathology. However, we have
identified different elements that seem to be necessary for a
future medico-economic evaluation of this project, such as
situations where patient transfers and two-stage surgeries
have been avoided. In addition, cases where the technology
has been used for services that were not planned initially (eg,
teleautopsy) appear to have added value. However, the absence
of monitoring to report these activities poses a challenge to
conduct such evaluation.
The performance criteria and real gains for the requesting
organization are unclear. Indeed, it is the responding
organization that accounts activity, and therefore receives
the funding associated with it. This situation could lead
some organizations to refuse to use pathologists’ services via
telepathology. In addition, it was stressed the importance of
looking at the impact on the cost of patient management for
the organizations involved.
“(...) It’s nice to not transfer the patient, but then we are stuck
with him in our hospital (...) [to keep a patient involves costs
for the organization] (...)” (R6).
On this point, it was also observed that some participating
organizations wanted to offer telepathology services to
increase their volume of activity, which would ultimately
allow them to have other pathologist positions and increased
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432428
budget. Thus, the redistribution of savings achieved through
telepathology between organizations poses several challenges
(eg, nature of incentives, performance criteria for the
requesting and the responding sites).
With respect to remuneration, it was found that establishing
a telepathology network should require reviewing current
payment modes, both for physicians (pathologists and
surgeons) and technologists (valuation of activity). Indeed,
telepathology implies other ways of functioning, such as
teleworking for some pathologists. For surgeons, due to
technological (eg, to digitize glass slide) and cognitive reasons
that affect communication, telepathology takes somewhat
longer time than when the pathologist is physically present in
the OR (for its part, the Perron et al,18 study reported that the
average time difference is not great, but still superior). This is
particularly true when slides are being scanned at 40x whereas
the additional time required is much less when slides are
scanned at 20x. This situation implies a somewhat longer use
of the OR, which raises questions of financial compensation
for overtime, but also questions of OR management for the
organization with the economic impact that it implies.
Finally, according to interviews, meetings and documents,
limited funding does not consider the need to finance new
equipment and new service modalities that are necessary
for the sustainability and scaling-up of this network. This
raises once again the question of the availability of recurrent
funding. This element does not appear to have been taken
into account at the emergence of the project, as it was
initiated in response to an opportunity to fund telehealth
projects from a federal funding organization (CHI). The fact
that the project’s funding was of a limited and non-recurring
duration, in addition to being mainly technology-oriented
and not service-oriented, raises concerns for the follow-up
of the project. Therefore, if it stops, the network would be
threatened, at least in its present form.
Discussion
The project evaluated is unique by its nature, objectives
and expectations. Because of its complex, innovative
and structuring character, this project has contributed to
addressing the concerns that are not normally addressed in
initiatives that aim to provide efficient, effective, continuous
and quality telehealth and health services for populations.
Telehealth involves major adjustments of organizational,
professional, clinical and technological issues to be processed
so to provide adequate services within an integrated and
coordinated health system. Diverse and varied dimensions
make technology - as a technical object - “secondary” in
the midst of a complex health ecosystem, with often blurred
contours. Thus, healthcare organizations are one of the most
complex forms of social systems.39,40 In addition, the health
system is a type of “professional bureaucracy” characterized
by great decentralization and professional autonomy.41,42 New
technology is thus introduced into social, organizational,
and cultural environments with their individual histories
and routines. For technology to be properly integrated, these
systems must reorganize and restructure to discover a new
equilibrium that would allow them to continue to evolve over
time. Telehealth is a striking example of this phenomenon
because it directly affects the provision of health services,
which are at the core of the health system.
A Complex and Structuring Project
The project has attempted to network 22 locations, each with
its own specific characteristics and dynamics: geographical
(rural vs. urban), organizational, administrative, professional,
and technological. This situation creates challenges of
considerable magnitude when it comes to harmonizing and
aligning various systems and processes, especially in an
integrated service network vision.
This project shows also that the practice of pathology is
inseparable from the practices of other clinicians, especially
surgeons. Thus, a transformation of clinical practices and
organization of services are required in order to be part of
a comprehensive vision of the health system, where the
alignment between specialties, modes of practice, and
professional and organizational cultures, without forgetting
local and regional contexts, is central to harmonizing and
integrating services using technology as a lever. Harmonizing
the strategic plans of participating organizations with MHSS
strategies, policies, and priorities is also required, a further
response to the “vagaries” of political contexts and government
changes. For example, as we finalized the evaluation, Quebec
underwent a major health system centralization reform that
has disrupted the telepathology network and participant
organizations. Indeed, with this reform, there was another
project for the centralization of medical biology laboratories,
which certain telepathology stakeholders were not aware of,
although this project included the closure of a number of
laboratories. This is the typical example of the disconnection
and not alignment between different priorities, strategies and
levels of governance.
This project cannot moreover be separated from its spatial
and temporal context. Indeed, the project has evolved in light
of new knowledge acquired on the ground and from other
international experiences along the way, and it has been
affected by regulatory and technological factors. As such, the
project requires capacities, means, and leeway for action and
reaction to deal with unpredictable events and developments
at the clinical, organizational, political, and technological
levels.
On the other hand, the project is also characterized by
negotiations and exchanges involving a variety of actors
and stakeholders who may have divergent visions and
objectives and who maintain their autonomy and flexibility
in an environment where all the actors remain ultimately
interdependent
.
Project Strengths
Clinical, Organizational and Technological Leadership
Undoubtedly, the strength of this project lies in its strong
leadership at various levels (clinical, organizational, and
technological). Indeed, responsibility for the project has
remained in the hands of a team with extensive experience in
the field and a history of close collaboration with the players
involved. This helped establish a climate of mutual trust,
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432 429
making it possible to address the various issues related to
the progress and direction of the project in a serene climate,
despite the many challenges and issues to be overcome over
the course of the project.
One of the noteworthy elements to highlight is the
fundamental role of the clinical dimension at all levels and
stages of the project. Indeed, strong clinical leadership helped
overcome many of the challenges encountered during the
project, notably those stemming from the initial vision as
driven by the funders, a vision that was relatively rigid and
mainly focused on specific uses of technology. The actors in
the field have rethought and redefined this vision to anchor it
in a clinical and organizational approach, going beyond the
simple implementation of technology.
Moreover, strong clinical and organizational leadership
has fostered a favorable dynamic with respect to the use of
technology. On the other hand, we also found that this same
leadership could be mobilized against the project itself. In
fact, some clinicians were responsible for the refusal of certain
organizations to use telepathology.
Collaboration and Innovation
Furthermore, the project created dynamics of collaboration
and mutual assistance between clinicians and organizations.
As a result, we have seen the construction of clinical platforms
(refers to a model of clinical collaboration) adapted to local
realities and organizational needs. This flexibility and
dynamism in the field have led to the emergence of other
uses for the technology. This was in part possible because the
project favored a strategy capitalizing on local and regional
collaborations and dynamics where the academic hospital
acted as a “safety net” and not as the main distributor of
services as is often the case for telepathology services.
The bottom-up expertise was validated and recognized,
thanks to a vitality of local teams, which can be considered as
innovation laboratories that integrate clinical, organizational,
and technical dimensions. Local teams were able to innovate
and experiment using an exploratory approach more oriented
toward their needs, going beyond what was initially planned
in the project (eg, use of technology to do teleautopsy or
teleformation). This process has made it possible to develop
other ways to work and collaborate, using technology.
Consequently, new roles and responsibilities have been
negotiated locally to capitalize on the potential provided
by telepathology. Such local dynamism can be seen as one
of the conditions for project success. However, given all
these local innovations, it is very difficult to implement and
operationalize a single service model for all participating
locations.
Challenges and Conditions for Sustainability
Challenges Inherent to the Organizational Transformations
Telepathology, and digital pathology, is accompanied by
changes in structures, the organization of services, and clinical
processes. It calls into question pre-existing organizational
and professional cultures. In fact, it brings with it other
forms of communication, which involve a reconfiguration
of relations between clinicians, technologists, managers, and
indirectly, patients, as well as between all these actors and the
organization itself.
Telepathology, at least in the Quebec context, requires
technologists to develop significant expertise that allows
them to become a central link in the proper functioning of
the telepathology context in locations where no pathologists
are on hand. This new situation raises issues regarding task
delegation (eg, activities normally reserved for pathologists),
and therefore their eventual validation. Technologists now
perform what is called a “critical function,” which involves an
interruption, even a paralysis, of the organization’s workflow if
not performed.42,43 This said, the sustainability of telepathology
is partly dependent on whether the organizations and other
professional actors are able to accept, recognize, and formalize
this new role of technologists.
On the other hand, telepathology involves a repositioning of
relations and interactions between the actors themselves (eg,
pathologists, technologists and surgeons), as well as between
actors and the organization (eg, pathologists and their
organizations). The novelty here is that the use of technology
forces organizations to go beyond their physical dimension
to integrate a wider environment, thus forming a sort of
network-organization which is more structured around
information flows and more and more “virtual teams.”
Nevertheless, the viability of these new networks depends
on the nature and clarity of the cooperation routines that
will be set up among the various actors (professional and
organizational) concerned. Indeed, the question of confidence
in change seemed decisive for such a restructuring to be
possible and sustainable. In this instance, negotiation, in the
logic of change management, takes on a central role in order
to build a new configuration of relationships and interactions,
which in turn leads actors collectively to learn, innovate and
adopt new modes of practice, communication and work.43
It is also important for organizations to develop a learning
culture and become sufficiently flexible so as to benefit from
the experience on the ground.
Technology as “Use”
Telepathology also has an interactive character, which means
that the professionals concerned, through their use of the
technology, participate in its definition (or redefinition) by
accepting it in its initial form, transforming and adapting
it to their contexts and needs, or simply rejecting it.44
Moreover, this innovative mode of practice is introduced in
an environment where it confronts existing modes and habits
of practice and organization. As such, we are left with socio-
technical systems where the technology interacts with a socio-
cultural environment, in particular the organization.45,46 Thus,
it should be kept in mind that the technology could be subject
to change due to its association and confrontation with other
ideas and realities specific to each organizational and practice
context.47 Recipients can design and use the technology in
a different way than originally intended because each can
interact with innovation in a way that differs from others,
even if they belong to the same profession.47,48 In other words,
it is use that gives value to the technology.49-51
In this project, the emergence of new local clinical platforms
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432430
was an adapted response to organizational and regional needs
and realities, which may differ according to context and
influenced by systemic issues. It was also a way for local teams
to reach the objectives of covering the services expected by
the MHSS. These local clinical platforms have enabled the
emergence and consolidation of an inter-organizational and
inter-regional dynamic that can be seen as a foundation for
the development of an integrated, functional, and efficient
national telepathology network.
The Challenge of Scale-up and Sustainability
The biggest challenge for the EQTN is to transition to the
required scale and become sustainable. The first consideration
remains the concrete support of decision-making authorities
with a telehealth and health system vision and strategy, which
is not entirely the case because of the lack of a global telehealth
strategy in Quebec. This support should be materialized,
in the short term, through the training and availability of
innovation-sensitive human resources and to be galvanized
by the clinical and organizational leadership required to
enable an understanding of the complexity of health system
transformations in the light of telehealth. This condition is
essential in making available the support required for the
rapid development of applications and uses of technology.
The prospect of sustainability also implies that several
elements have to be deepened and many constraints
overcome. This includes the need to find a new balance in the
services provision model, which is conditioned by the extent
to which stakeholders in the health system are able to agree on
new dynamics in the production and delivery of services. This
said, the standard top-down approaches limit creativity and
the latitude circles needed to innovate and to uncover new
practices.
Other issues with respect to ensuring EQTN sustainability
were raised during this evaluation. First, it is important to
consider the conditions for taking into account local needs
and the local context on a broader scale. Institutionalization
should not reduce the field’s capacity to adjust and adapt.
Second, a central factor for EQTN sustainability remains the
availability of recurrent funding. Indeed, one of the problems
regularly encountered in telehealth projects is that they are
initiated with provisional funds, where sustainability is not
taken into account. In other words, the project funding
will eventually become an end in itself for the initiators
and not a means for improving the provision of services.52
Funding strategies should foster longer-term approaches
with sufficient flexibility to innovate (eg, avoid budgets
aligned with so-called closed indicators). Computerization in
health involves complex and slow transformations that take
place over the long term, an approach that current funding
models generally do not enable.52 Finally, the conditions
of practice and remuneration of pathologists, surgeons,
and technologists whose practices and responsibilities are
impacted by telepathology must be better defined.
Conclusion
This work, which evaluated a telepathology network’s
emergence, implementation and operation, helps to inform
decision-makers on the importance of taking into account the
complexity stemming from changes in models of production,
delivery, and organization of health services with telehealth.
The implementation of integrated telehealth networks requires
a clear understanding of the professional, organizational,
and political dynamics and synergies that exist between
all stakeholders (individual and organizational) involved.
Having a systemic vision that takes into consideration the
complexity of health systems is also crucial. Future research-
evaluation must therefore be more sensitive to the complexity
associated with the emergence of telehealth networks and no
longer reduce them to solely technological considerations.
Developmental-accompanying evaluation should be recognized
as a lever to improve understanding of how these networks
evolve in the dynamic, ever-changing environments that
health systems represent and, ultimately, contributing to
decision-making process.
Acknowledgments
This work is part of an evaluation mandate received by Dr.
Jean-Paul Fortin’s team. It was funded by the University
Hospital Center of Quebec-Laval University, Quebec
City, QC, Canada. It was also supported by scholarships
(H. Alami) from: (1) the Research Center on Healthcare
and Services in Primary Care of Laval University; (2) the
“Conseil Franco-Québécois de Cooperation Universitaire
(CFQCU)”/ the “Fonds de recherche du Québec-Nature et
technologies (FRQNT)”; and (3) the Strategic Training Fellow
in Transdisciplinary Research on Public Health Interventions
“Promotion, Prevention and Public Policy (4P)” of the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research and of the Quebec
Population Health Research Network.
The authors would like to thank the “The Eastern Quebec
Telepathology Network” authority and team for their
availability and contribution throughout this work. Their
willingness to share their experience and expertise to improve
practices and advance telehealth is an important element to
highlight.
Special thanks to all people (researchers, decision-makers,
clinicians, managers, technologists, etc) and institutions that
have contributed to the realization of this work. We would
also like to thank the reviewers for their valuable comments
and suggestions.
Ethical issues
We have applied the principles of the “Guidelines for Ethical Conduct”
recommended by the Canadian Evaluation Society (integrity/honesty,
accountability, confidentiality, respect, and responsibility for people’s welfare).
Competing interests
Authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors’ contributions
JPF, HA, and MPG conceived and designed the evaluation plan. JPF, HA, and
HP were responsible for data collection. JPF, HA, HP, MPG, BT, and FT have
been involved in data analysis and interpretation of results. HA, JPF, MPG, HP,
BT, and FT were engaged in the drafting of this manuscript and they all read and
approved the final manuscript.
Authors’ affiliations
1Institute of Health and Social Services in Primary Care, Research Center on
Healthcare and Services in Primary Care of Laval University (CERSSPL-UL),
Alami et al
International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2018, 7(5), 421–432 431
CIUSSS-Capitale Nationale, Quebec City, QC, Canada. 2University Hospital
Center of Quebec-Laval University Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
3Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. 4Faculty of
Nursing, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. 5Integrated Health and
Social Services Centre of Chaudière-Appalaches Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis, Lévis
City, QC, Canada.
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