| R. Lewis Dark:
Era of Digital Pathology Steadily Approaches
IMMEDIATELY AFTER GENERAL ELECTRIC ANNOUNCED its partnership with the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) on June 5 to develop a fully
integrated digital pathology system,we took a closer look at how some pioneering
pathologists are using digital imaging systems in their daily clinical practice.
What we found is that the technology is fairly well developed and, in some
other countries, pathologists already use digital pathology images for primary
diagnoses on a regular basis. That won’t happen in the United States until the
FDA clears this type of technology for clinical applications.
To share what we learned with you, we provide an intelligence briefing on
pages 12-13 about how pathologists at the University Health Network (UHN),
in Toronto, Ontario, have used digital pathology for frozen sections with great
success for several years.Using ScanScope, a digital imaging system from Aperio
Technologies, Inc., the UHN pathologists have improved workflow and patient
care. They now regularly use the system to transmit images over the Internet
from surgical sites around the corner or from a hospital 400 miles north of
Toronto. By allowing pathologists to work remotely, the system supports the
pathology needs of hospitals where no regular pathologist is on-site.
To be sure, companies developing fully-integrated digital pathology systems
face plenty of hurdles. That's the topic of our second intelligence briefing, found
on pages 15-18. We interviewed two CEOs of companies that sell pathology
imaging products and systems to learn their views about howthe pathology profession
is likely to react to digital pathology technology which holds the potential
to eventually move pathologists away from glass slides and microscopes.
Repeatedly over the past decade, THE DARK REPORT has reminded its
clients and regular readers about the strategic implications of baby boomer
demographics.As experienced pathologists begin retiring in significant numbers,
it will be new technologies—including fully-digital pathology imaging
systems—that will become useful tools for increasing the productivity of
individual pathologists. These same technologies will also contribute to
improvements in the clinical quality delivered by pathologists to physicians
and patients. As you will read in this issue, the sustained success of Toronto's
UHN pathologists in using fully-digitized, whole-slide pathology images for
frozen sections offers some fascinating reasons why the era of digital pathology
may be closer than we all think.
NY & California Act to Stop
Web Gene Testing Firms
Regulators in New York and California target
certain Web-based genetic testing companies
CEO SUMMARY: Events in the past month indicate that a
war is developing between Internet-based companies offering
genetic tests to consumers and state and federal health regulators.
New York state authorities have sent letters to at least
31 such companies in recent months. Then, on June 9, the
California Department of Health sent cease-and-desist letters
to 13 Web firms. Just days later, the Federal Trade Commission
disclosed two investigations of genetic testing companies.
Hospital Trends: Growth of Medical Tourism
May Become Political Issue
Americans going overseas for healthcare mean
fewer patients visiting hospitals in this country
HealthPartners Promotes
Same-Day Lab Test Results
In Minneapolis, walking urine collection cup
educates consumers about speedy lab reports
CEO SUMMARY: Patient focus groups told HealthPartners
that they had anxiety as they waited days for lab test results.
That encouraged HealthPartners to redesign workflows in its
pathology department. Once it could deliver same-day lab test
results electronically,HealthPartners launched a uniquemarketing
campaign to educate consumers about this benefit in early
May.Already,HealthPartners reports a 28%increase in the number
of patients going on-line to access their lab test results.
Toronto Pathologists Use
Whole-Slide Imaging
Digital pathology and whole-slide imaging
increase concordance and pathology productivity
CEO SUMMARY: It was the “frozen section problem” and
productivity issues that led pathologists at the three-hospital
University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto to implement a
fully-digital pathology system with whole-slide imaging in
2006. Use of digital, whole-slide images makes it faster to
report results to the surgeon,while making it easier to involve
colleagues in difficult cases. Now UHN's pathologists use the
system to support hospitals 400 miles away.
Is Digital Path Imaging
Ready for Prime Time?
FDA clearance of digital pathology imaging
is one factor that will encourage wider adoption
CEO SUMMARY: Digital pathology imaging systems are
finding uses in all phases of drug discovery (discovery, preclinical,
clinical trials), as well as education, research, and
clinical. One hurdle to widespread adoption of fully digitized,
whole-slide pathology imaging systems is FDA clearance that
allows the use of this technology for primary diagnosis.
Executives at two of companies offering digital pathology systems
offer their predictions about how this market will evolve.
INTELLIGENCE: Late & Latent
SPENDING CUTS
ADVERSELY AFFECT
CANADIAN LABSCANCER-DETECTING
MICROCHIP UNVEILED | 
