Bridging distances with digital pathology at Sonic Healthcare in Australia

Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology is using the Philips Digital Pathology Solution (Digital Pathology Solution — IntelliSite) to reduce turnaround times and improve care. This highly scalable digital pathology solution with proven technology enhances productivity with high-resolution digital images, collaborative features and case management tools.

“Because Australia is so large it’s challenging to have a concentration of pathology expertise where and when needed. Small laboratories are dispersed across a vast geographical area. In many cases immunohistochemical stains and special stains have to be ordered after the primary diagnosis, and for pathologists working in regional labs this involves substantial delays in sending physical slides. Digital pathology enables them to prepare a digital image and send this automatically, overcoming the delay caused by sending physical slides.”

“Digital imaging dramatically improves turnaround time and eases workflow and collaboration. Previously when attending multi-disciplinary meetings, the team would take photographs or even the actual slides along with a microscope. Using Philips digital pathology, they are instead able to quickly show the entire digital slide, zooming in to display all desired information on-screen and conveying more information in a convenient way that is valued by their physicians.”

“In many cases the team must retrieve material that may have been reported months or even years previously, and the storage of glass slides off-site created significant delays in the retrieval of this material. Digital pathology enables them to retrieve slides in a matter of minutes and share them virtually in real time.”