Digital & Computational Pathology - Chair, Dept of Pathology; Dir of Cytopathology, U.S. Medical Center

A pathologist at a US Medical Center currently utilizes digital pathology in a variety of ways. They analyze slides with a digitalized stained slide and automatic report generation, outsource fluorescence and FISH testing to NeoGenomics, and use computer-assisted technology to analyze and interpret the results. The stakeholder's facility has an in-house scanner that is currently not being used due to logistical issues, but they hope to start utilizing it within the next five years. The decision to use the scanner will depend on factors such as financing, storage options, and IT security. The interviewee sees value in using digital pathology for biomarker analysis and detailed reports, but the majority of their work is still done using traditional pathology methods. They primarily use digital pathology for routine clinical work, with 75% of their cases being oncology related. They primarily use digital pathology for ISH and HC and expect an increase in H&E usage if they start implementing in-house digitalization. The stakeholder views the ability to integrate digitalized software in-house and the availability of software for quantitative interpretation of biomarker testing as key unmet needs in the digital pathology offerings on the market. They believe that greater adoption of digital pathology has the potential to improve clinical decisions and their practice. The interviewee is familiar with Ventana and Roche as key vendors in the field. They predict a slow increase in the volume of digitized slides used in the next five years and anticipate the potential use of AI and image analysis software in the future, pending FDA clearance or approval.