NYU Langone Health has launched a digital pathology program, transforming disease diagnosis from microscopes to high-definition images, shareable in real time across the hospital network. This change offers unprecedented clarity for viewing human tissue samples, shorter diagnosis time, and enhanced collaboration within a field that remains a vital but unseen engine of patient care.
"Since the dawn of pathology, our work has involved being hunched over looking at slides in the microscope in our offices after they've been manually delivered to us," said Syed T. Hoda, MD, director of Digital Pathology, Clinical and Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology at NYU Langone and one of roughly 100 bone and soft tissue pathologists in the country. "As of this week, images can get to the right pathologist in real time, no matter where a patient is being treated in our network."
This technological advancement comes at a crucial time. The nation is facing a pathologist shortage while disease rates are skyrocketing, with only a small number of pathologists confirming diagnoses that affect millions of patients. Allowing pathologists greater workload efficiency without the risks associated with physical slides—such as storage issues, slide degradation, and time delays—builds more sustainable healthcare infrastructure.
Moreover, the initiative opens new job opportunities, with the hospital hiring 24 digital pathology coordinators, creating an entirely new career path in healthcare.
Joan F. Cangiarella, MD, vice chair of clinical operations in the Department of Pathology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, emphasized the volume and intensity of pathologists' work. "Our team scrutinizes samples for patients we'll never meet, agonizing over microscopic details that can change lives. Now, with digital pathology, we can perform this work at a much higher level that allows us to further elevate the exceptional care we already provide."
Beyond improving efficiency, digitizing medical images lays the groundwork for AI-assisted diagnostics.
As one of the first U.S. health systems to fully embrace digital pathology, NYU Langone is advancing disease detection for its patients and, by leveraging AI, igniting a practice shift that could alleviate a looming healthcare bottleneck."
Nader Mherabi, executive vice president and vice dean, chief digital and information officer at NYU Langone
Expanding on this potential, Sean Hacking, MD, director of Digital Pathology Research, explained: "This program will diversify our diagnostic toolbox. Digital images will help power AI models we are building to identify cancer and other diseases at the earliest, most relevant time for patients, which can have a huge impact on the choices they have for treatment."
The digital program aims to shorten the time from test to treatment, enhance collaboration among medical teams, and potentially allow pathologists to have a greater voice at the bedside when patients have questions about their diagnosis. Its impact is already being felt across the hospital.
"Yesterday, I attended our first 'digital' tumor board," Dr. Hoda said. "I instantly accessed entire cases live while discussing patients. Previously, retrieving glass slides from storage could delay clinical decisions by hours or even days. For a patient eager for answers, that wait can feel like an eternity."
NYU Langone has a multiyear partnership with the Philips corporation to implement technology, including digital pathology. Martijn Hartjes, clinical informatics business leader at Philips, echoes Mherabi's assessment of the digital scanners being a launchpad to augment pathologists' capabilities.
"NYU Langone Health is setting a new standard in precision diagnosis and treatment by embracing digital pathology and switching to fully digital workflows. With digital pathology, other labs have experienced efficiency gains of up to 15 to 25 percent per case," said Hartjes. "Digital pathology also enables the ability to integrate AI, which can further improve efficiency and open new possibilities for disease detection. At Philips, we recognize the challenges of transitioning from an analog to a digital workflow, so our focus is on delivering technology and services that make the transition seamless, and empowering clinicians with the tools they need to deliver better care to more patients."
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