Philips integrating digital pathology services at Glasgow and Edinburgh hospitals
Health technology company Philips has announced it is piloting digital pathology services across three NHS sites in Scotland.
The announcement of the pilot was made at ehi Live which is taking place at the NEC in Birmingham.
The pilot will last up to 12 months and has been designed to help Scottish NHS providers easily integrate into a digitised national pathology service.
Philips' IntelliSite Digital Pathology Solution systems will be implemented across three pilot sites including the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Infirmary and Western General Hospitals in Edinburgh. The systems will examine how beneficial ultra-fast sample scanners are for getting quicker results, historically verified sample results for reduced variability of interpretation and improving access to sample images across Scotland through remote access.
Philips states that a national digital pathology could increase the diagnostic and accuracy of pathology services to address resource pressures in Scotland. It’s believed that up to 70% of diagnoses made in Scotland are informed by pathology and laboratory service work. More so, increasing pathology service demand is not being matched by a growth in workforce.
Dr Gareth Bryson, head of Service for Pathology, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow and clinical lead, said: “Pathology is an area of rapid innovation and an increasingly vital corner stone of modern diagnostic practice. Traditional histopathology exposed samples to numerous handlers which is inefficient and increases the scope for human error. An integrated digital pathology workflow reduces these risks while providing the pathologist with the necessary image and clinical information to generate the most accurate and complete clinical diagnosis.”
Kenny Birney, head of IT, Diagnostics NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and project lead said: “Computational pathology offers new insights through data analysis, meaning pathologists can consult on treatment options such as in immuno-oncology. Our aim is to bring these exciting innovations to Scotland with an integrated digital pathology solution, ensuring equity of access for all patients, irrespective of geographical location."