Consequences of "going digital" for pathology professionals - entering the cloud

Area of Science:

• Digital pathology
• Medical informatics
• Computational pathology

Background:

• Digital technologies are revolutionizing various sectors, including medicine.
• Pathology, an image-based discipline, is poised for significant transformation due to digital advancements.
• The integration of digital tools necessitates a shift in the traditional pathology workflow and professional mindset.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of digital technologies on pathology services.
• To outline the benefits of adopting digital imaging and integrated systems in pathology.
• To propose a vision for the future of digital pathology, termed 'cloud pathology'.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the evolving pathology workflow.
• Discussion of the integration of digital imaging, decision-support, and knowledge databases.
• Exploration of the paradigm of 'cloud pathology' and its implications.

Main Results:

• Digital transformation offers new opportunities for pathology professionals and services.
• Seamless integration of digital imaging and advanced systems enables distributed work environments.
• The development of next-generation laboratory information systems is crucial.

Conclusions:

• Pathology professionals must prepare for the increasing digital component of their work.
• Adopting a 'cloud pathology' paradigm can lead to synergistic benefits and enhanced patient care.
• Integrated digital pathology workstations will be central to multidisciplinary patient care systems.