Journal:A survival guide for the rapid transition to a fully digital workflow: The Caltagirone example
| Full article title | A survival guide for the rapid transition to a fully digital workflow: The Caltagirone example |
|---|---|
| Journal | Diagnostics |
| Author(s) | Fraggetta, Filippo; Caputo, Alessandro; Guglielmino, Rosa; Pellegrino, Maria G.; Runza, Giampaolo; L'Imperio, Vincenzo |
| Author affiliation(s) | Ospedale Gravina, University of Salerno, University of Milano-Bicocca |
| Primary contact | Email: filippofra at hotmail dot com |
| Editors | Crescenzi, Anna |
| Year published | 2021 |
| Volume and issue | 11(10) |
| Article # | 1916 |
| DOI | 10.3390/diagnostics11101916 |
| ISSN | 2075-4418 |
| Distribution license | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International |
| Website | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/10/1916/htm |
| Download | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/10/1916/pdf (PDF) |
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This article should be considered a work in progress and incomplete. Consider this article incomplete until this notice is removed. |
Abstract
Digital pathology for the routine assessment of cases for primary diagnosis has been implemented by few laboratories worldwide. The Gravina Hospital in Caltagirone (Sicily, Italy), which collects cases from seven different hospitals distributed in the Catania area, converted its entire workflow to digital starting from 2019. Before the transition, the Caltagirone pathology laboratory was characterized by a non-tracked workflow, based on paper requests, and hand-written blocks and slides, as well as manual assembling and delivering of the cases and glass slides to the pathologists. Moreover, the arrangement of the spaces and offices in the department was illogical and under-productive for the linearity of the workflow. For these reasons, an adequate 2D barcode system for tracking purposes, the redistribution of laboratory spaces, and the implementation of whole-slide imaging (WSI) technology based on a laboratory information system (LIS)-centric approach were adopted as a needed prerequisite to switch to a digital workflow. The adoption of a dedicated connection for transfer of clinical and administrative data between different software and interfaces using an internationally recognized standard (Health Level 7) in the pathology department further facilitated the transition, helping in the integration of the LIS with WSI scanners. As per previous reports, the components and devices chosen for the pathologists’ workstations did not significantly impact on the WSI-based reporting phase in primary histological diagnosis. An analysis of all the steps of this transition has been made retrospectively to provide a useful “handy” guide to lead the digital transition of “analog,” non-tracked pathology laboratories following the experience of the Caltagirone pathology department. Following step-by-step instructions towards the implementation of a paperless routine with more standardized and safe processes, every "analog" pathology department has the real possibility of managing case priority and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Keywords: digital pathology, WSI, LIS, 2D barcode, primary diagnosis
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This presentation is faithful to the original, with only a few minor changes to presentation, spelling, and grammar. In some cases important information was missing from the references, and that information was added.
