The Dark Daily issued an article on Friday about a virtual dermatopathology lab, called Dermatopathologyconsultations.com, where they specialize in second opinion consultations worldwide with a focus on sub specialties like dermatopathology and head, neck and ophthalmic pathology. Their innovative workflow, which uses Digital Pathology, streamlines the consultation process.
With the rapid growth and adoption of Digital Pathology, many pathologists have fears of offshoring. These fears stem from the offshoring boom that occurred with the adoption of digital radiology. However, what a company like Dermatopathologyconsultations.com illustrates is that onshoring is a business that can work and that outsourcing is something that should be embraced and seen as a resource to provided better quality and patient care.
Risk vs. reward is often a hot topic when radiologists discuss the use of outsourcing and/or offshoring. But what are some of the risks and rewards in pathology?
Risk(s)
- Outsourcing too many or the wrong cases
- Patient confidentiality & legal factors
- Loss of patient contact and the opportunity to build physician-patient relationships
- Continuity of Care
Reward(s)
- Increased productivity
- Turn-around-time (TAT) for a patient diagnosis in off hours
- Grow your service portfolio with rapid access to sub specialty pathologists for second opinion diagnoses/consults
- Case allocation to cover under staffed facilities, vacation time, and excess case volume
- Cost savings
Although telepathology is not routinely used or endorsed for primary diagnosis today across state lines or healthcare systems, I believe, it is only a matter of time. With that change will come a growth in USA based outsourcing and onshoring of routine pathology. This is a business growth opportunity in pathology and a possibly a better way to practice pathology. I guess we’ll see what happens, but bravo to Dermatopathologyconsultations.com, for a step in the right direction.
To read the Dark Daily article, visit: http://www.darkdaily.com/meet-the-virtual-dermatopathology-lab-doing-global-business-from-boston-120
To learn more about teleradiology visit: http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/imaging-trends-advances/teleradiology
