Display Characteristics and Their Impact on Digital Pathology: A Current Review of Pathologists' Future "Microscope"

Area of Science:

• Digital pathology
• Medical imaging technology
• Pathology informatics

Background:

• Digital displays are crucial for pathologists' daily tasks, including viewing whole-slide images.
• Current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations restrict whole-slide imaging systems to specific medical-grade (MG) displays due to limited literature.
• Pathologists' displays function as surrogate microscopes, necessitating an understanding of display properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and emerging display technologies, terminology, features, and regulations relevant to pathology.
• To summarize existing literature on the impact of different display types (medical-grade vs. consumer vs. professional) on diagnostic performance.
• To discuss the influence of digital pathology componentization and the COVID-19 pandemic on display use for remote diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of display technology and its impact on pathology.
• Analysis of current regulatory landscape for digital pathology displays.
• Discussion of emerging trends and challenges in display technology for pathology.

Main Results:

• Display technology has advanced rapidly, yet research on its impact on pathologist performance is limited.
• There is a need for more studies to establish standards and minimum specifications for pathology displays.
• Current regulations favor specific medical-grade displays, limiting pathologist choice.

Conclusions:

• Pathologists require enhanced knowledge of display technology to navigate choices and advocate for future standards.
• Further research is essential to develop evidence-based specifications for digital pathology displays.
• Informed understanding of display properties is key for pathologists to optimize their digital workflow.