Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 14, 2025
Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Published on: November 7, 2020
Digital pathology in the time of corona
Nikolas Stathonikos1, Nadege C van Varsseveld2, Aryan Vink2
1Pathology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands n.stathonikos-2@umcutrecht.nl.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of digital pathology for maintaining diagnostic services amid healthcare disruptions. Digital pathology enables remote work for pathology professionals, ensuring continuity of care and operational efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Informatics
- Pathology
- Digital Health
Background:
- The 2020 COVID-19 crisis significantly impacted healthcare systems, including pathology services.
- Staffing shortages and remote work policies became prevalent due to rising infection rates and lockdown measures.
- The need for adaptable diagnostic solutions became critical for maintaining pathology services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of pathology operations during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis.
- To emphasize the benefits and advantages of digital pathology in a pandemic setting.
- To illustrate how digital pathology facilitates remote work and social distancing.
Main Methods:
- Review of operational adjustments in a pathology department during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Focus on the implementation and utilization of digital pathology tools.
- Analysis of workflow adaptations to support remote diagnostics.
Main Results:
- Digital pathology proved essential for enabling pathologists, residents, molecular biologists, and pathology assistants to work effectively from home.
- It facilitated social distancing while maintaining engagement in the diagnostic process.
- The crisis underscored the asset of digital diagnostics in ensuring service continuity.
Conclusions:
- Digital pathology is a crucial asset for modern healthcare, particularly during public health crises.
- It supports flexible work arrangements and ensures the uninterrupted delivery of pathology services.
- The adoption of digital pathology enhances resilience and efficiency in diagnostic processes.
Abstract:
The 2020 COVID-19 crisis has had and will have many implications for healthcare, including pathology. Rising number of infections create staffing shortages and other hospital departments might require pathology employees to fill more urgent positions. Furthermore, lockdown measures and social distancing cause many people to work from home. During this crisis, it became clearer than ever what an asset digital diagnostics is to keep pathologists, residents, molecular biologists and pathology assistants engaged in the diagnostic process, allowing social distancing and a 'need to be there' on-the-premises policy, while working effectively from home. This paper provides an overview of our way of working during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis with emphasis on the virtues of digital pathology.
