Is there a financial argument in favor of implementing telepathology? The short answer is ‘yes’. Besides several obvious benefits, other less tangible results can be added to this list.
- Telepathology eliminates the need to transport slides to a pathologist for review. This saves the time in transit and cost of shipping.
- Telepathology eliminates the need for pathologists to travel off site for case reviews.
- Pathologists have time to support more cases, bringing in more revenue.
- Pathologists have more time to perform the other duties required by their positions.
- Telepathology permits faster case reviews, especially those involving ROSE. This, in turn, may allow for additional FNA procedures to be conducted, thereby adding additional revenue.
- Telepathology provides access to pathologists and subspecialists to remote or understaffed hospitals. This can also be extended to ROSE evaluations.
- Telepathology enhances ergonomics by viewing slide images on monitors as opposed to using traditional microscopes.
The downside is that telepathology can require significant start up costs, especially if you are considering WSI (whole slide imaging) scanners. This needn’t be the case. The RC500 Remote Collaboration System for live telepathology provides nearly instant access to patient samples and is compatible with a broad range of preparations including FNAs, wet mounts and smears. A remote reviewer can begin assessment as soon as a PA or technician can load a slide onto the stage of the RC500.
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