From the Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus. Lujan and Li are co-lead authors.
Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2021 Sep 1;145(9):1051-1061. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0715-SA.
CONTEXT.—: Pathology practices have begun integrating digital pathology tools into their routine workflow. During 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged as a pandemic, causing a global health crisis that significantly affected the world population in several areas, including medical practice, and pathology was no exception.
OBJECTIVE.—: To summarize our experience in implementing digital pathology for remote primary diagnosis, education, and research during this pandemic.
DESIGN.—: We surveyed our pathologists (all subspecialized) and trainees to gather information about their use of digital pathology tools before and during the pandemic. Quality assurance and slide distribution data were also examined.
RESULTS.—: During the pandemic, the widespread use of digital tools in our institution allowed a smooth transition of most clinical and academic activities into remote with no major disruptions. The number of pathologists using whole slide imaging (WSI) for primary diagnosis increased from 20 (62.5%) to 29 (90.6%) of a total of 32 pathologists, excluding renal pathology and hematopathology, during the pandemic. Furthermore, the number of pathologists exclusively using whole slide imaging for primary diagnosis also increased from 2 (6.3%) to 5 (15.6%) during the pandemic. In 35 (100%) survey responses from attending pathologists, 21 (60%) reported using whole slide imaging for remote primary diagnosis following the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services waiver. Of these 21 pathologists, 18 (86%) responded that if allowed, they will continue using whole slide imaging for remote primary diagnosis after the pandemic.
CONCLUSIONS.—: The pandemic served as a catalyst to pathologists adopting a digital workflow into their daily practice and realizing the logistic and technical advantages of such tools.
病理学实践已经开始将数字病理学工具集成到其常规工作流程中。2020 年，由严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）引起的 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行，造成了全球卫生危机，对包括医学实践在内的世界人口产生了重大影响，病理学也不例外。
总结我们在大流行期间实施数字病理学进行远程初步诊断、教育和研究的经验。
我们调查了我们的病理学家（全部为专科医生）和学员，以收集他们在大流行前后使用数字病理学工具的信息。还检查了质量保证和幻灯片分发数据。
在大流行期间，我们机构广泛使用数字工具，使大多数临床和学术活动顺利过渡到远程模式，没有出现重大中断。在总共 32 名病理学家中，除了肾脏病理学和血液病理学之外，使用全切片成像（WSI）进行初步诊断的病理学家人数从 20 名（62.5%）增加到 29 名（90.6%）。此外，在大流行期间，专门使用全切片成像进行初步诊断的病理学家人数也从 2 名（6.3%）增加到 5 名（15.6%）。在 35 名（100%）主治病理学家的调查回复中，有 21 名（60%）报告在医疗保险和医疗补助服务豁免后使用全切片成像进行远程初步诊断。在这 21 名病理学家中，有 18 名（86%）表示，如果允许，他们将在大流行后继续使用全切片成像进行远程初步诊断。
大流行成为病理学家将数字工作流程纳入日常实践的催化剂，并认识到此类工具的后勤和技术优势。
