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Surgeon-pathologist: Digital pathology is ‘Day to analog pathology’s night’
One Sectra digital pathology workflow now connects pathologists across Castile and León, Spain. Johanna Palacios Ball, MD, shares what changed, in an article written by Radiology Business.
Johanna Palacios Ball, MD, of Hospital Universitario de Burgos, has seen pathology both as a surgeon and as a pathologist. Below are the key takeaways from her interview with Radiology Business, covering the regional rollout, the shift to digital, and what she looks for in a vendor.
Definitive diagnoses 20% to 30% faster
Pathologists in Castile and León, Spain, are reaching definitive diagnoses about 20% to 30% faster than they did with glass slides, according to Dr. Palacios Ball. Thirteen of the region’s 14 pathology departments now work digitally.
13 of 14 pathology departments digitized
Castile and León has nine provinces, and all of its hospital-based pathology departments are publicly funded. Dr. Palacios Ball, a former surgeon who retrained as a pathologist, has become a physician champion for the rollout across the region.
Johanna Palacios Ball, MD, of Hospital Universitario de Burgos.
Interoperability decided the tender
All 14 hospitals are publicly funded, so the group followed a formal tender process (a structured RFP). It published one tender for the pathology picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and 13 separate tenders for scanners. Interoperability was a serious concern from the start. Five vendors reached the final round, and the group selected Sectra.
The DICOM-based approach is what made our project possible. Each hospital chose its own scanner, and now we have four different scanner suppliers working under the same roof for every pathologist.
Johanna Palacios Ball, MD
What changed for pathologists
Dr. Palacios Ball can now open earlier biopsies from other hospitals in the region alongside the current case, without requesting or waiting for physical slides. In one recent case, she reached a diagnosis on a very limited small biopsy by combining it with the same patient’s biopsy from a month earlier at another hospital.
She also reports that tumor-board reviews no longer require PowerPoints or PDFs to prepare, and that training for residents and fellows is smoother.
Advice for pathology leaders
“When you choose a tech vendor to equip and assist you with digitizing pathology, you have to be able to see them as a true partner, not just as a supplier of products and services.”
Read the full story on Radiology Business | Learn about Sectra Digital Pathology
“Overall, we’ve found the difference between digital and analog is like day and night.”
Johanna Palacios Ball, MD
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