Digital pathology in the time of corona

Abstract

The 2020 COVID-19 crisis has had and will have many implications for healthcare, including pathology. Rising number of infections create staffing shortages and other hospital departments might require pathology employees to fill more urgent positions. Furthermore, lockdown measures and social distancing cause many people to work from home. During this crisis, it became clearer than ever what an asset digital diagnostics is to keep pathologists, residents, molecular biologists and pathology assistants engaged in the diagnostic process, allowing social distancing and a 'need to be there' on-the-premises policy, while working effectively from home. This paper provides an overview of our way of working during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis with emphasis on the virtues of digital pathology.

Keywords: image processing, computer-assisted; information technology; medical informatics computing; telepathology.

Figure 1

Home workspace of one of the pathologists.

Figure 2

Weekly case submission rate from the beginning of 2020 through the first 2 months of the COVID-19 crisis, showing a sharp drop in week 12, picking up in week 19.

Figure 3

Weekly turnaround time from the beginning of 2020 through the first 2 months of the COVID-19 crisis, showing stable turnaround times during weeks 12–19 despite working from home for close to 50%.

Figure 4

Real-time discussion between two observers in the PACS, the arrow of the other observer and the chat window being visible for interaction.

Figure 5

Weekly autopsy rate from the beginning of 2020 through the first 2 months of the COVID-19 crisis, showing a drop in weeks 14–18, picking up again from week 19.

Figure 6

Weekly rate of submissions with molecular testing from the beginning of 2020 through the first 2 months of the COVID-19 crisis, showing only a slight drop from week 13 onwards.

Figure 7

PhD candidate Marijn Vermeulen defending her thesis online to the PhD committee. Permission to publish was provided by everybody depicted in the photo.