Digital & Computational Pathology - Lab Director & Assistant Professor, U.S. Academic Center

A clinical director and associate IHC director at an academic center discusses the current and future use of digital pathology. They currently have a slide scanner used for research, teaching, tumor boards, and consultation but are not yet using AI tools. Data storage has been a challenge, but they recently purchased new storage. They plan to use it for clinical purposes and remote sign-outs once validated. Key stakeholders driving adoption are the administration, chair, and directors. The main value derived from digital pathology comes from remote sign-outs, increased accuracy, and faster consultation turnaround times. Specifically, they hope to achieve turnaround times of 24 hours for biopsies and 3-4 weeks for big resections. Current spending includes $500,000 for the scanner and $200,000 annually for data storage, which is expected to increase if reimbursement codes are approved. The hospital runs around 3,000-4,000 slides per month and plans to invest in telecytology with two additional microscopes. In five years, they expect 80% of digital pathology usage to be for routine clinical purposes. The stakeholder also discusses potential applications in areas such as GI pathology, melanoma, prostate cancer, NASH, lung disease, transplant pathology, and medical renal cases. Currently, they do not assess any markers but plan to quantify PDL-1 expression in the future. They expect new machines and tools to enter the market, with a focus on 3D mapping. They believe vendors will need to decrease prices and improve user-friendliness, and note that visual pathology activity is more active in Europe compared to the U.S.