Digital Pathology in Hematopathology: From Vision to Deployment

Digital pathology (DP) has evolved alongside other technical advances, transforming our daily lives and diagnostic medicine. It is likely that, as in other areas of life, science, and medicine, the overall level of digitization will continue to rise, along with an increasing number of groups implementing DP. This review explores the clinical DP ecosystem with a focus on hematology and hematopathology, addressing the benefits of DP, such as improved workflow efficiency, remote practice, enhanced collaboration, and integration of artificial intelligence tools. Several challenges and pitfalls are also highlighted, such as technical scanner challenges, image management system issues, IT infrastructure, regulations, and the critical (and expensive) topic of data storage, and retrieval for DP. We also propose a roadmap for the successful implementation of DP, designed to support institutions of all sizes to make the transition to DP. This roadmap emphasizes well-thought-out, strategic planning and aims to ensure that organizations and individuals considering a switch to DP are able to deliver meaningful benefits to pathologists, health systems, providers, and most importantly, patients.