Dr. Rebecca Millican-Slater, Lead Clinician for Cellular Pathology at St. James’s University Hospital in Leeds, UK, is a vocal advocate for the efficiency of digital pathology. Even with digital pathology widely adopted, the misconception that it’s slower than traditional microscopy persists. Dr. Millican-Slater, who has over five years of pathology experience, attests to its remarkable speed and efficiency.
In comparison to traditional microscopes, digital pathology offers rapid navigation through cases, saving valuable time by allowing users to view slides on a computer screen rather than physically handling glass slides. For multi-slide cases, the convenience of switching between slides at the click of a button is a notable advantage.
Digital pathology excels in annotation and collaboration, enabling clinicians to highlight areas of interest and provide notes for colleagues. This fosters seamless communication and improves diagnostic processes.
Another key feature of pathology is side-by-side slide comparison, ensuring precise assessments. This is particularly beneficial when differentiating between suspicious and normal cells. The ability to simultaneously compare slides is a time-saving, critical advantage.
Digital pathology further facilitates precise measurements and mitotic counts, enhancing diagnostic accuracy. It’s especially advantageous in histopathology reporting.
Clinical practice integration of digital pathology is supported by evidence confirming its non-inferiority to traditional microscopy. It doesn’t merely replicate the microscope but offers convenient access to digital slides, innovative workflows, and transformative solutions using machine learning and decision support tools.
To enhance the this experience, pathologists can explore various viewers and hardware options. Proper configuration ensures pathology is just as fast and efficient as traditional microscopy.
The National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) has been instrumental in bolstering pathology with a £50 million investment aimed at improving early diagnosis and precision medicine.
In summary, digital pathology offers a swift, efficient, and versatile alternative to traditional microscopy. It empowers pathologists to make precise diagnoses while fostering collaboration and facilitating access to vital information.
