Image quality and acceptance of Telepathology.

Aim: To evaluate the quality of components of electronic image, colortruth brightness and sharpness, via two capturing systems on acceptance of images, diagnostic accuracy and training effect. Methods: Ten histological and 4 cytological cases of routined breast specimens were capturing by a pathologist in Germany via two different capturing systems. The images were digitalized and saved on a recordable compact disc with brief clinical informations, and sent to a pathologist in Thailand. The test pathologist viewed the images at his own station, imitating the environment as daily work and noted the results for the analysis. Slides were sent to perform glass-slide diagnosis (GD) and recorded. The results were analyzed concerning: overall image quality in each system; viewing time; diagnostic accuracy; training effect. Main results: Results of 102 images are recorded as: number of images; score of the components of image quality; viewing Time; telepathology diagnosis (TD); glass-slide diagnosis (GD). Conclusions: 1. The capturing part plays an important role performing image quality and viewing time, resulting in the acceptance. 2. Electronic images of cytological cases are better in quality. 3. Training effect to view electronic images helped the acceptance of images used in telepathology, but did not help to increase the diagnostic accuracy in this study. 4. The reliability of electronic images is as high as viewing microscopic images in this investigation, especially in cytological cases via a good capturing machine.