Subscribe in a reader
Interested to learn how to make money with digital pathology? Then attend my presentation at the inaugural Pathology Institute 2012 presented by G2 Intelligence and Laboratory Economics. The conference is titled “Pathology Under Attack! Practice Models and Business Strategies for a New Era,” held at the beautiful Westin Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, FL February 9-10, 2012.
Jondavid Klipp, President and Publisher of Laboratory Economics, kindly invited me to speak on this exciting topic and provide “How To” information on how to make money with digital pathology. Here is my session overview:
Making Money from Digital Pathology: Tips for Financial Success Now that the novelty of digital pathology has worn off, pathologists are coming to understand that installing a digital pathology system has some important competitive advantages for their practices but requires a significant investment. So what should pathology practices do? This presentation will explore key financial issues relating to digital pathology including how to create a realistic and achievable business plan with a return on investment strategy. Learning Objectives: Identify ways to be financially successful with digital pathology in your practice Create a foundation within your laboratory for financial success Learn how to build a business case for digital pathology
Making Money from Digital Pathology: Tips for Financial Success
At Pathology Institute 2012, you’ll learn from — and network with — physicians, lab executives, and other pathology leaders as you explore key topics focused on identifying these new growth opportunities and strategies that are essential to strengthening your private practice or pathology organization in a revamped health care system where patient care is integrated and vallue is rewarded over volume: Hear powerful case studies from the nation’s largest independent pathology labs See how some pathology groups have maintained control of the professional component at in-office labs Learn how to construct more equitable and innovative business relationships with your hospital/health systems Get tips for success for integrating digital pathology into your practice Gain the knowledge needed to develop a professional sales and marketing team Learn how to expand your practice with molecular diagnostics Prepare for the new and expanded role that pathologists can play under health care reform Gain insight into the future of pathology
In post USCAP Part 1: The BIG Players In Digital Pathology I said, “A shift in the mindset of pathologists could be felt throughout the meeting and left the digital pathology industry energized about what 2011 will bring. No more just looking and talking about digital pathology, pathologists were truly starting to plan and think about how to adapt to their digital future.” This is a big step toward the “tipping point” of digital pathology, however, we still have several barriers to work through including cost, regulatory, technical, and psychological.
COST
Cost justification is difficult in digital pathology, however, there are several options to help deal with this barrier. At USCAP two companies, MikroScan and Motic, showcased small, affordable, high-quality scanners for only $35,000.
Mikroscan's D2 Desktop Scanner
Mikroscan’s Victor Casas said “we are here to disrupt the workflow” by creating an affordable system that is outside the lab and on the pathologists desk. Mikroscan believes that they do not compete against the high-throughput systems created by other manufacturers, instead their systems are positioned to work with them. Mikroscan wants to focus on intra-operative/frozen section scanning; small, remote labs in rural areas; and the personal scanning needs of pathologists. The D2 scanner’s has a very nice “desktop” look and the paddle (aka slide holder) can load four 1×3 slides, two 2×3 slides, or one 2×3 and two 1×3 slides. Objectives include a 2.5x for the macro scan, 20x, and 40x for high resolution scanning.
Motic’s microscope based system can be configured for 1 or 25 slides, and offers microscope-like flexibility with slide acquisition up to 100x and of the z-axis. Scans average around 4 minutes for a 15 mm2 area (scan time only). Their system supports a server software and viewer, and has the capability for real-time remote telepathlogy of the microscope.
However, if your digital pathology needs include mid or high-throughput scanning the cost barrier will not be overcome simply with low cost equipment. Instead you need a business plan and strategy. My company, Digital Pathology Consultants, helps organizations of all sizes create a business plan that will ”cost justify” digital pathology and set you up for digital success now and in the future. Our 5WH program provides clients with a cost-effective, unbiased business case for digital pathology. The 5WH program is based on a common methodology for information gathering and the goal is simply to answer the who, what, where, when, why and how of digital pathology. Although the methodology is simple, discovering the best answers to these questions is not easy and that is why you need help.
REGULATORY
Some day (hopefully within the next 10 years…) I’ll be able to blog about the FDA’s plan on how to regulate digital pathology manufacturers. Until that day comes pathologists, and their labs, must determine ways to safe guard themselves but still move forward with the use of digital pathology. Remember the FDA regulates what digital pathology manufacturers can claim or say their technology is used for, not what a pathologist or a hospital does with digital pathology. CLIA is who regulates laboratory use of digital pathology. At USCAP, CAP announced that the Pathology and Laboratory Quality Center were developing guidelines for digital pathology titled “CAP Validation Principles for Whole Slide Imaging in Digital Pathology.” The goal of this document is to develop principles to assist pathologists in properly validation WSI digital imaging systems. The draft recommendations will be available for public review in Sring 2011.
TECHNICAL
In post USCAP Part 2: Innovation Trends in Digital Pathology I discussed technology trends and how these are helping to address technical barriers of adoption. However, our biggest initiative must be to educate others in the HIT world and share what we learn, and to not shy away from this very real component of digital pathology. Two white papers were published by the Digital Pathology Association in 2010 and are good examples of what we must do to prepare for the data wave and the level of integration necessary to ensure pathology departments are successful with digital pathology now and in the future.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Psychological barriers is a “hot topic” for me. I firmly believe this is an area the digital pathology industry must have a plan to address or adoption may never truly succeed. At Digital Pathology Consultants we have developed a coaching program to help departments or individual pathologists overcome the psychological impacts of digital pathology. I also know this is a point of interest for Aperio, and their CMO Jared Schwartz, MD PhD. Dr. Schwartz recently did a webinar on the Psychological Barriers and how Aperio is working to address them.
Overall, USCAP 2011 was an amazing meeting with lots to see and discuss about digital pathology. What do you think- take the poll below:
The United States & Canadian Association of Pathology (USCAP) annual meeting, the first big pathology meeting of the year, is set to kick off in San Antonio TX and celebrate its’ 100th year this weekend. The topic of the meeting is “Education & Innovation For The Next 100 Years” and will feature lots of information on digital pathology.
Over the past three years USCAP has really become a hot spot for digital pathology companies to make a statement; the exhibit booths just get bigger and bigger! In my summary of USCAP last year I blogged about how there were sixteen companies who represented digital pathology products (see post: All Aboard! The Digital Pathology Bandwagon); this year will be even more impressive- just wait and see!
USCAP ’11 Digital Pathology Highlights
I will of course be there and welcome the opportunity to meet and greet with any of my blog readers or anyone interested in learning more about Digital Pathology Consultants. Send me an email if you would like to set up a time to meet and/or follow me on twitter during the meeting at DPConsultant and look for tweets with #USCAP11.
On October 24-27, 2010 Pathology Visions, the annual meeting of the Digital Pathology Association, was hosted in San Diego, CA. It was the first time I have ever attended Pathology Visions and I was very impressed with the turnout of over 400 attendees. It’s so wonderful to see our community grow and develop every year. It was a wonderful few days to network with colleagues and learn from leaders in our industry. Sessions ran concurrently, and I focused on the clinical and IT presentations. Unfortunately I could not attend them all, but here is my “Top 10 List” (in no specific order) of favorite presentations that I was able to attended.
Thanks to everyone who attended, all the exhibitors, and the DPA for putting on a wonderful meeting. I look forward to Pathology Visions 2011!
Patients do not understand the importance of a pathologist in the diagnosis of their disease. They also have no idea about digital pathology. But that could all change with a simple, powerful marketing campaign by GE’s Healthymagination. Can you imagine it? I can, and I have been for years. A Healthymagination commercial would bring attention, good attention to the practice of pathology.
Although no commercial has aired, it has been a busy week for GE in the world of pathology. On October 22nd GE announced the purchase of Clarient in a $587 million deal to accelerate GE Healthcare’s ability to predict and diagnose diseases; and yesterday GE healthcare’s joint venture with UPMC, Omnyx, announced the start of clinical trials for their digital pathology solutions. Although Omnyx was not involved in the purchase of Clarient, it makes sense that they will come together to further GE Healthcare’s $6 billion healthymagination initiative to improve cost, quality, and access in healthcare; or in our world- pathology.
In addition, GE and Omnyx executives spent the past few days promoting their innovation and advancements at two conferences in San Diego, CA- Pathology Visions and TEDMED. At TEDMED Mike Barber, GE’s VP of Healthymagination, gave an 18 minute power presentation which included digital pathology. Mr. Barber was quoted,
I don’t say this lightly – while digitization may seem like a relatively simple change in today’s tricked-out techno world, it’s a revolutionary step in pathology that may lead to the transformation of the practice, and the evolution of our understanding of cell biology.”
Digital pathology is no longer a new topic in pathology. However, it needs to become a new topic in healthcare and with patients. So while we wait for a Healthymagination commercial let’s start to spread the word of our amazing future to anyone who will listen.
Just like the Olympics, multiple gold medals were given out at the first annual European Scanner Contest. The gold medals went to Leica, Olympus, & 3DHistech!
In a previous post, “Going For The Gold! A Digital Pathology Olympics” I discussed how on May 25th-26th the first contest was held with six companies choosing to participate. The participants had the option of competing in up to three disciplines with a maximum of two scanners.
The disciplines were:
The following awards were presented at the 10th Annual European Congress on Virtual Microscopy in Vilnius, Lithuania July 1-3, 2010, based on specific requirements and evaluation rules.
Congratulations to the winning companies and their instruments, and I look forward to future contests and encourage more companies in our industry to participate. For additional information, download the following powerpoint presentation about the contest and an overall summary of results.
I blogged yesterday about a digital pathology contest in “Going For The Gold! A Digital Pathology Olympics” hosted by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) in collaboration with the Telepathology Network in Europe (EURO-TELEPATH). In follow up to that post, I would like to announce the Olympians are:
The list of contestants is an interesting mix of known companies and new companies. However, I was surprised to find out that some well known companies, like Aperio and Bioimagene are not participating. The results will be published at the 10th Annual European Congress on Virtual Microscopy in Vilnius, Lithuania July 1-3, 2010. Once again, best of luck to all participants and I look forward to seeing the results!
Every digital pathology company says, “We’re the fastest and have the best image quality!” But next week that statement will be put to the test at the first ever scanner contest for digital pathology on May 25-26, 2010 in Berlin, Germany.
The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) in collaboration with the Telepathology Network in Europe (EURO-TELEPATH) will host the contest. Currently there are six companies signed up to participate, and they can provide up to two scanners of an identical or different type. The contest room will allow each company privacy, and there will be a referee available during the contest days. The glass slides will be provided by the organizing committee and companies can also choose to participate in all or some of the evaluation parameters. The evaluation parameters will include:
If a company runs into technical problems which cannot be fixed in time, there will be another chance to scan parallel to the running conference for the German Society of Pathology meeting being held May 27th-30th.
Preliminary results for the scanner contest will be presented during the German Society of Pathology meeting, and additional results will follow after the meeting and contest. Companies will be able to decide which results should be part of the contest and which should not, and they can contribute comments. Also, the organizers are working to make a web server available with the scanned test slides and each manufacturers viewer that will be available till the next contest for anyone to see and use.
Overall, I think this is a great idea and applaud the companies who have signed up to take the challenge. The reward for the company who takes the GOLD is to be able to say “We are the fastest and have the best image quality” and most importantly, be able to back that statement up. I look forward to seeing the results and wish all companies the best of luck! To learn more about this contest and the COST working group meeting, click here.
Subscribe in a reader