Digital & Computational Pathology - Pathologist, Southern U.S. Academic Medical Center

A pathologist at an academic medical center discusses their use of digital pathology tools for clinical workflow, teaching / education, and research purposes. In the clinical space, they use digital pathology tools to evaluate stained slides and biomarkers. They primarily use slide scanners for routine evaluation but still rely on manual microscopy for larger specimens. The interviewee expects that the majority of testing and digital pathology utilization will continue to be done in-house over the next five years. They use bright field scanners and platforms like PathAI and DeepBio for AI and biomarker identification. Key stakeholders involved in driving the adoption of digital pathology include pathologists, committee heads, and hospital administration representatives. They discuss the gradual adoption of digital pathology tools, starting with scanners and adding other software and tools over time. The unique value derived from using digital pathology includes uniformity, ease of the entire process, storage of data, sharing images with colleagues, and remote assessment capabilities. However, a fully automated workflow is difficult to achieve as routine microscopy is still relied upon in certain situations. The interviewee mentions the need for accuracy, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in implementing digital pathology. They discuss various vendors in the market, favoring Zeiss for its superior image quality and acknowledging the importance of comparing different vendors. They also emphasize the importance of platform compatibility, robustness, reliability, and excellent customer service.

A gap in the market is identified in the lack of familiarity with digital platforms and skepticism regarding their robustness. The interviewee suggests that vendors need to communicate better and increase awareness of digital pathology. They also suggest offering bundled packages instead of selling components separately. Looking to the future, the interviewee expects increased adoption of digital pathology tools, particularly for therapy selection. They anticipate more teleconsultations and emphasize the need for training for widespread utilization.