Five years ago, two key takeaways from a survey of their pathologists sent NorthShore University HealthSystem toward the front lines of a technological revolution: digital pathology.
The team almost unanimously agreed that, first, it was time to consider AI as an aid to microscopic tissue analysis. And second, 73% wanted the flexibility to work remotely at another site or at home, at least sometimes, via telepathology.
It was about 2000 when Yale pathologist John Sinard, MD, PhD, first heard the prediction. “In five years, we won’t be using microscopes,” a respected peer quipped. “We’ll be examining all our slides as digitized images on computer monitors.”
Nearly a quarter-century later, Sinard reports: “I’m at my workstation, and my microscope is sitting right here next to me.”
With more than 7 million digitized slides on hand, the pathology department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City represents one of the largest repositories of whole slide images in the world. It’s no surprise the library is so large, as it’s been accruing new images since 2008. And with total case volumes exceeding one million slide reads per year, the inventory continues to grow at that scale.
Remember when X-ray abandoned cumbersome film once sleek digital suitors showed up? It happened little by little, not all at once. In much the same way, radiology datasets are leaving cramped hardware spaces for the inexhaustible, ever-flexible expanse of the cloud.
Korak Sarkar, MD, vividly recalls a clinical case that clearly demonstrated the significant impact that enterprise imaging can have on healthcare delivery.
Like a whirlwind, COVID-19 seemed to appear out of nowhere and completely disrupted the global community. Economies are stressed, industries are experiencing unprecedented changes, and governments are trying to manage it all.
Medical imaging volume was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, as the old adage says, this too shall pass. But when? And what should practices being doing to prepare for the return?
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have reported that stroke and heart attack patients are staying home instead of seeking the medical attention they need. Medical societies have warned against such actions, highlighting the importance of seeking treatment, yet the trend continues throughout the United States.
Prospect, Connecticut, was founded all the way back in 1827, and its citizens take great pride in the city’s gorgeous scenery and deep history. In fact, just one look at Prospect’s motto—“The Best Small Town in Connecticut”—tells you everything you need to know.
The Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) is a 173-bed hospital located in Anchorage, Ala., working in close partnership with Alaska’s rural health facilities to support a broad range of healthcare and related services.
When the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) was signed into law in 2015, it answered the prayers of healthcare providers everywhere and repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) once and for all.
Missouri has been home to some big victories in recent years, with the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and St. Louis Blues taking home the Stanley Cup in 2019.
Last February, 439-bed Riverside University Health System Medical Center (RUHS-MC) opened a new cardiac and neurovascular catheterization lab. While some internal questioning initially swirled around which vendor would supply image-management products and services, the CIO-led selection and acquisition team quickly settled on Sectra’s Enterprise Imaging for Cardiology solution.
