Introducing Digital Pathology to the Air Force: A Preview of Intra-facility QA Studies
Russell Silowash BS; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Robb Wilson MA; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Leslie Anthony MA; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center;
Content:
Digital pathology is a relatively novel technology. It allows the pathologist to view entire slides digitally with full magnification capabilities. With the emergence and progressive evolution of WSI in pathology, it is important to conduct evaluation studies in parallel with research and development in order to insure the technologys validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The current paucity of information in the pathology literature related to the formal evaluation of digital pathology challenges evaluators to develop more reliable, comprehensive and rigorous studies aimed at addressing a broad spectrum of associated technologies and practices. Previous Quality Assurance (QA) studies conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) with 24 genitourinary cases yielded promising results regarding diagnostic concordance and confidence (Ho et al., 2006). In order to further validate the utility of pathology as a surgical pathology QA tool, UPMC has partnered up with the United States Air Force to conduct inter- and intra-facility QA studies.
Technology:
N/A
Design:
Over 30 randomly selected cases (300+ slides) will be analyzed by pathologists all over the country. Pathologists from 8 different sites (five Air Force Bases) will be interviewed before and after the study and will complete surveys on each case viewed. Surveys concentrate on the focus and response capabilities of the technology, as well as diagnostic concordance, complexity, and time to completion. Data will be collected via an electronic data collection system, and reports will be automatically generated for investigators to view the progress of the study.
Results:
By incorporating Air Force participation, the evaluation team hopes to further validate digital pathology as a useful tool for surgical pathology QA. Study design, methods, processes, current results, and technology involved will be discussed. With a large number of participants and cases, the evaluation process may play a key role in determining the feasibility and scalability of large scale implementation of digital pathology in a complex healthcare environment.
Conclusion:
N/A
