Pathology Departments Should Consider Launching a Digital Pathology Outreach Program

For about five years, some academic pathology programs have launched surgical pathology consulting programs, often serving countries like China with a shortage of highly trained pathologists (see: China:Pathology Consults and Health Care Collaboration;China Struggling to Keep Up with Demand for Anatomic Pathologists). These initiatives were based on less robust digital pathology technology than now exists. They were also acceptable in the eyes of the FDA because they were secondary consultations to pathologists working abroad who were responsible for the primary diagnosis. This is in contrast to the current situation with FDA approval for primary consultation for one particular vendor digital pathology platform (see: FDA Approves the Philips Digital Pathology WSI Solution for Primary Diagnosis). It is expected that similar approval will be forthcoming shortly for digital pathology platforms from other vendors.There is growing enthusiasm and momentum for the deployment of digital pathology systems as the result of the recent FDA decision. This is also partly due to the advantages of working with portable image files and the fact that the recruitment of pathology residents and fellows is enhanced by the presence of as robust digital pathology program in pathology departments. There are also a growing number of conferences and workshops available with a digital pathology theme, particularly those emphasizing practical issues and the rapid adoption of the technology (...
Source: Lab Soft News - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Digital Imaging in Pathology Food and Drug Administration Healthcare Information Technology Lab Industry Trends Lab Processes and Procedures Pathology Informatics Surgical Pathology Source Type: blogs