From Scanner Park to AI Integration: A 15-Year Journey to Full Digital Diagnostic Pathology
The authors describe their institution's incremental transition from glass slides to a fully digital diagnostic workflow, beginning in 2007 with whole-slide scanner infrastructure and culminating in AI algorithm integration. The paper candidly addresses implementation challenges including IT infrastructure, staff adoption and quality assurance, offering a practical roadmap for departments considering digital transformation.
The original study
Rocky road to digital diagnostics: implementation issues and exhilarating experiences.
- Authors
- Stathonikos N, Nguyen TQ, van Diest PJ
- Journal
- Journal of clinical pathology
- Type
- Journal Article, Review
- PMID
- 32988997
Original abstract
Since 2007, we have gradually been building up infrastructure for digital pathology, starting with a whole slide scanner park to build up a digital archive to streamline doing multidisciplinary meetings, student teaching and research, culminating in a full digital diagnostic workflow where we are currently integrating artificial intelligence algorithms. In this paper, we highlight the different steps in this process towards digital diagnostics, which was at times a rocky road with definitely issues in implementation, but eventually an exciting new way to practice pathology in a more modern and efficient way where patient safety has clearly gone up.