Did you know that digital pathology can greatly improve your lab?
One of the main problems that many labs have is turnaround time. When a lab has to meet deadlines, they’re more likely to make mistakes when analyzing data. If they have older equipment, they may have to analyze something several times before knowing what the right information is.
Fortunately, you can reduce the time spent analyzing data by implementing digital pathology into your lab. This is a process that uses technology to replace old techniques that take a lot of time. We’ll go over everything you need to know so you can determine if it’s something you need.
Read on to learn more about digital pathology, how it works, and its benefits.
What Is Digital Pathology?
Digital pathology is a process that many labs are starting to use because it can dramatically enhance workflow. It essentially revolves around using digital scanners to create slides that can be used for sharing and analyzing data.
In the past, the main way to inspect glass for tissues was to inspect each tissue. However, this requires a lot of time and there’s a greater risk of making errors. Digital scanners eliminate this process by scanning an entire area of glass.
How Does Digital Pathology Work?
Depending on the scanner that a lab is using, the scanner will collect data by using chips that cameras use to capture images. Many scanners use linear technology, which involves using satellite images. Linear scanners will collect a variety of images and connect them into one.
When a glass is being scanned, a pathologist can focus on other things in the lab. This will reduce the time that’s being spent scanning, and it allows labs to get other tasks done at a quicker rate.
Benefits of Digital Pathology
The reason why many labs are including digital pathology as one of their techniques is that it provides many benefits. If it weren’t for digital pathology, things like medication would take longer to develop. It would also be harder to get high-quality products because of the work that’s required to manage data.
Improved Results
One of the main benefits that digital pathology offers is improved results. When you take a digitalized specimen and scan it, you can see things more accurately than you could with a microscope. Data for older scans can also be accessed at any time.
Reduced Errors
Breakage is a problem that many pathologists struggle with. When you use digital pathology, you can analyze the data and send it to someone without having to transport glass to them. This also reduces the chance of misidentifying something because it will be tagged in your system.
Better Images
Telepathology technology allows scientists to get better images from a variety of angles. Using a dashboard, data, and slide annotations can be viewed to make managing everything simpler.
Improved Workflow
Because the data is stored electronically, scientists can collaborate without any problems. Having central storage will make everything simple to access, which will greatly improve workflow in a lab.
Quicker Turnaround Times
Digital slides that were created in the past can be accessed at any time. This is quicker than manual reviews, which require you to go through the entire scanning process before submitting data.
Room for Innovation
As pathologists continue to use telepathology applications, they’ll become more specialized. This will make it easier for them to transition into other projects. They can also teach and train new pathologists whenever digital pathology is introduced to them.
How to Implement Digital Pathology
In any laboratory environment, things need to be thoroughly thought out before they’re launched. When it comes to implementing digital pathology, you must go through a variety of steps to ensure that the process goes smoothly.
Here are the main steps for implementing digital pathology:
Create a Plan
The first thing you must do is create a plan by defining needs and goals. You must outline what kind of equipment you need, who will be assigned to each role and create a new workflow process.
Determine What You Need
If you’re missing someone that can lead the project, you must find someone that can qualify for the position. You must also determine what you need to ensure you have enough storage and security. See what tools, budgets, and timelines you have to help you get a better understanding of what else is needed.
Start the Training Process
Ensure that all of your employees understand how to use telepathology technology. You’ll need to implement a training program so that no one runs into problems when you launch the project. You may want to do a test run to see if everyone understands how to use the equipment and follow the processes.
Adjust When Needed
After implementing digital pathology into your lab, monitor employees. Whenever you feel like you could be getting things done faster, come up with a new strategy. You’ll need to look for speed and cost improvements whenever possible.
Get Started Today
After reading this article, you now have a better understanding of what digital pathology is and its benefits. We encourage you to start implementing digital pathology so that your lab can get things done quicker. It’s affordable to implement and you’ll improve your company’s turnaround time.
Keep in mind that telepathology solutions are being used by many labs around the world. As time goes on, they’ll become the main part of any lab, so it’s best to get ahead as soon as possible.
Contact us to learn about how we can help you implement digital pathology today!
