Did you know that there are 40,000 to 80,000 annual deaths due to preventable diagnostic errors?
Such alarming numbers hyped the demand for laboratory tests of all sorts. To date, the annual sum for an ordered laboratory test is 14 billion. So it’s no wonder that 70% of medical decisions today are dependent on laboratory test results.
Among the most demanded diagnostic test is pathologic intraoperative tests. However, the available pathologists aren’t enough to meet this high service demand. This results in delayed operations and extra costs for both the practice and the patient.
Fortunately, telepathology paved the way for remote pathologic consultation and diagnosis. Does your practice use telepathology? Are you confident that you’re taking full advantage of it?
Read on to find out how you can manage telepathology better to make the most out of it.
What Is Telepathology?
Telepathology is the act of practicing pathology even from a remote area. Its basic concept is the same as digital messaging.
It uses Telecomm devices to send pathology images from one area to another. Telepathology is mainly used for diagnosis, consultation, or research.
Three Types of Telepathology Systems
There are three main telepathology systems available today. This includes image-based systems, virtual slide systems, and real-time systems.
The most affordable and easiest to use are image-based systems. This system requires practitioners to capture images of the specimen through camera devices. These digital images are then shared with others via e-mail or shared networks.
On the other hand, virtual slide telepathology makes use of a telepathology scanner. Medical practitioners scan and digitalize high-resolution images of a whole slide.
Meanwhile, real-time systems use computer monitors to display the pathologist’s slides. Through telepathology, pathologists can pan and zoom in on the desired areas of the slide.
This way, the consulting pathologist can examine the slide from a different angle. Furthermore, with the use of a microphone, two or more people can review and discuss the examined slide in real-time. This makes room for a more accurate diagnosis or recommendation.
How to Manage Telepathology Better: Applications of Telepathology in Your Medical Practice
The benefits of telepathology aren’t limited to patients but can be fully enjoyed by medical practices. The speedy diagnostic and consultation it bears not only saves time but lives as well. It also helps reduce the need for patients in rural areas to travel, allowing them to save money.
Furthermore, it gave way to remote diagnosis and consultation. In turn, making better healthcare services accessible even for remote areas.
However, to be able to reap these benefits, you need to ensure that you’re using it in all the areas that can benefit from it. As such, read on to find out where you can use telepathology to ensure that you’re maximizing this healthcare technology.
Produce High-Resolution Pathology Images
One practical application of telepathy lies in producing high-quality digitalized specimen slides. A microscopic view of the specimen has its limits. However, with virtual imaging, pathologists can get a different view of the specimen.
Real-time systems, for instance, allow pathologists to operate a microscope from a distance. With healthcare technology, they can magnify and change the field of view of the slide at will.
This allows pathologists to examine the specimen at different angles. As a result, they’ll be able to come up with a more wholesome and accurate diagnosis. In addition, it reduces the chances of medical errors such as misdiagnosis.
Use Telepathology to Speed up Diagnostic and Operation
The most promising application of telepathology is that it allows for an efficient and effective remote pathologic consultation. Telepathology solutions result in digital images that pathologists can access anywhere.
This allows medical operations to receive the pathology support it needs. Of course, without the struggle of traveling for and waiting for the results.
Once you’ve confirmed the details you need, you can proceed with the operation without too much delay. For patients, this is a relief because it heightens the chance of operation success.
Improve Your Storage Integrity
Telepathology systems allow medical practices to improve their specimen storage. As you know, physical slides break and lose their integrity as time passes. This is amidst the availability of improved preservation techniques.
This is a disadvantage for practices as it often results in the need to draw another specimen. In addition, such a process limits patient access to quality and efficient medical care.
Fortunately, you can use telepathology to store samples on an easy-to-use database. There are also machine learning programs that you can use to help you organize your stored files.
As a result, locating and accessing slides, new or old, becomes easier and quicker. Pathologists won’t need to undergo a multi-step process that wastes time.
Take advantage of the convenience that telepathology offers to improve the workflow in your practice. This can help you save time, resources, and money which eventually leads to a higher profit.
Use Telepathology for Better Education Resources
Another way to get the best out of telepathology is to maximize it for your researches. Proper pathology-related research requires access to the right slides at the right time.
In most cases, you’ll need a microscope to study the slide, which is inconvenient. This is where telepathology comes in.
It allows you to access and study the slide you need wherever you may be in a few taps. The digital copies of the slides make it easy for pathologists to exchange information.
Advance Your Medical Practice With Telepathology!
With the increasing number of experts acknowledging the importance of telepathology practices, there’s no doubt that this trend will die anytime soon. However, choosing to keep up with this medical trend will increase your patient recovery rate and improve your reputation. All these will lead to a hike in your medical practice in the long run.
Need the service of a telepathology system but don’t have the budget to buy one yet? Specialist Direct is here for you!
We take pride in our high-quality telepathology services and great customer care services. Thanks to our experts, you can be sure that we only provide an accurate test at the fastest time possible.
Here’s more, we also offer telecardiology and teleradiology services! So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us now and get a free consultation today!
