Real-World Implementation of Digital Pathology: Results From an Intercontinental Survey

The past 70 years have been characterized by rapid advancements in computer technology, and the health care system has not been immune to this trend. However, anatomical pathology has remained largely an analog discipline. In recent years, this has been changing with the growing adoption of digital pathology, partly driven by the potential of computer-aided diagnosis. As part of an international collaboration, we conducted a comprehensive survey to gain a deeper under-standing of the status of digital pathology implementation in Europe and Asia. A total of 127 anatomical pathology laboratories participated in the survey, including 75 from Europe and 52 from Asia, with 72 laboratories having established digital pathology workflow and 55 without digital pathology. Laboratories using digital pathology for diagnostic (n = 29) and nondiagnostic (n = 43) purposes were thoroughly questioned about their implementation strategies and insti-tutional experiences, including details on equipment, storage, integration with laboratory infor-mation system, computer-aided diagnosis, and the costs of going digital. The impact of the digital pathology workflow was also evaluated, focusing on turnaround time, specimen traceability, quality control, and overall satisfaction. Laboratories without access to digital pathology were asked to provide insights into their perceptions of the technology, expectations, barriers to adoption, and potential facilitators. Our findings indicate that although digital pathology is still the future for many, it is already the present for some. This decade may be a time when anatomical pathology finally embraces digital revolution on a larger scale.(c) 2023 United States & Canadian Academy of Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The past 70 years have witnessed rapid advancements in computer technology, although anatomical pathology has mainly remained an analog discipline. However, with the growing adoption of digital pathology, it is becoming the present reality for some laboratories and may continue to be the future for many others.