Digital transition in pathology lab: a survey from the Lombardy region| Pathologica - Journal of the Italian Society of Anatomic Pathology and Diagnostic Cytopathology
Vol. 116: Issue 4 - August 2024
DOI: 10.32074/1591-951X-1004
Original articles
Published: 2024-09-30
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Digital transition in pathology lab: a survey from the Lombardy region

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pathology, IRCCS Fondazione San Gerardo dei Tintori, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Department of Pathology, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
Pathology, Vimercate Hospital, ASST-Brianza, Vimercate, Italy
Centro Regionale di Coordinamento della Medicina di Laboratorio, Milan, Italy
Unit of Pathology, Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, University of Insubria, ASST Sette Laghi, Varese, Italy
Pathology Unit, ASST Bergamo ovest, Treviglio (BG), Italy
Surgical Pathology Division, Department of Oncology, ASST Lecco, “A. Manzoni” Hospital, Lecco, Italy; Pathology, ASST Valtellina e Alto Lario, Sondrio, Italy
Division of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
Department of Pathology, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
Department of Pathology, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; S.C. di Anatomia Patologica, ASST- Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy
Pathology Unit, Melegnano and Martesana ASST, Vizzolo Predabissi, Italy
Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pathology, IRCCS Fondazione San Gerardo dei Tintori, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
1st Pathology Division, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
 Pathology Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pathology, IRCCS Fondazione San Gerardo dei Tintori, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Dipartimento di scienze clinico-chirurgiche, diagnostiche e pediatriche - Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy;S.C. Anatomia Patologica, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology (DIPO), University of Milan, Italy
Centro Regionale di Coordinamento della Medicina di Laboratorio, Milan, Italy
digital pathology whole slide images archives pre-analytic traceability

Abstract

Objective. Digital pathology is an opportunity to revise the routine and old artisanal workflow, moving to standard operating procedures, quality control and reproducibility. Here the results of a survey promoted by the Coordinamento della Medicina di Laboratorio (CRC Med Lab) of the Lombardy region in Italy are reported to shed light on the current situation of digital adoption in the country.

Methods. The survey composed of 58 questions was sent to 60 pathology laboratories. The results were collected and most significant answers were reported and discussed.

Results. Answers were received from 57 (95%) laboratories, a minority organized in spoke-hub networks (16%) with a centralized processing phase (11%). Hybrid manual/computer-assisted traceability was prevalent (36%), with QR/barcode labeling starting within the pathology lab (23%). Different laboratory information systems (LIS) were employed, mostly with alert functions and/or multimedial file attachments (56% and 46%, respectively). The majority opted for a semi-automated tracking management (44, 77%) and 18 centers (32%) were partly digitizing the routine (¾ scanning < 25% of slides). Whole slide images were retained for 3.7 years in average; in-house blocks/slides archiving was still preferred (30, 53%), with 1838 (±1551) and 1798 (±1950) days (5 years) internal permanence for blocks and slides that are stored in out-source (mean turnaround time for return on-demand 3.7±2.1, range 1-10 days).

Conclusions. The advantages of digital pathology must be balanced against the challenges faced in the structural revision of the pathology workflow. This regional scouting can represent the foundation to build an efficient and connected digital pathology system in the territory.

Affiliations

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$authorString->getFullName() => Elisa Belloni

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Elisa Belloni

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pathology, IRCCS Fondazione San Gerardo dei Tintori, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Emanuela Bonoldi

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Emanuela Bonoldi

Department of Pathology, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Giorgio Bovo

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Giorgio Bovo

Pathology, Vimercate Hospital, ASST-Brianza, Vimercate, Italy
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Sabrina Buoro

Centro Regionale di Coordinamento della Medicina di Laboratorio, Milan, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Michele Cerati

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Michele Cerati

Unit of Pathology, Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, University of Insubria, ASST Sette Laghi, Varese, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Fulvia Milena Cribiú

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Fulvia Milena Cribiú

Pathology Unit, ASST Bergamo ovest, Treviglio (BG), Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Emanuele Dainese

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Emanuele Dainese

Surgical Pathology Division, Department of Oncology, ASST Lecco, “A. Manzoni” Hospital, Lecco, Italy; Pathology, ASST Valtellina e Alto Lario, Sondrio, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Alessandro Del Gobbo

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Alessandro Del Gobbo

Division of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Mattia Facchetti

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Mattia Facchetti

Department of Pathology, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Andrea Gianatti

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Andrea Gianatti

Department of Pathology, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Umberto Gianelli

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Umberto Gianelli

Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; S.C. di Anatomia Patologica, ASST- Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Paolo Giunta

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Paolo Giunta

Pathology Unit, Melegnano and Martesana ASST, Vizzolo Predabissi, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Vincenzo L'Imperio

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Vincenzo L'Imperio

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pathology, IRCCS Fondazione San Gerardo dei Tintori, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Massimo Milione

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Massimo Milione

1st Pathology Division, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Manuela Nebuloni

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Manuela Nebuloni

 Pathology Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Fabio Pagni

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Fabio Pagni

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pathology, IRCCS Fondazione San Gerardo dei Tintori, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
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$authorString->getFullName() => Marco Paulli

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Marco Paulli

Dipartimento di scienze clinico-chirurgiche, diagnostiche e pediatriche - Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy;S.C. Anatomia Patologica, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
non esiste orcidID ""

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$authorString->getFullName() => Antonella Piga

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Antonella Piga

Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology (DIPO), University of Milan, Italy
non esiste orcidID ""

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$authorString->getFullName() => Fabio Pasotti

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Fabio Pasotti

Centro Regionale di Coordinamento della Medicina di Laboratorio, Milan, Italy
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License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright

© Società Italiana di Anatomia Patologica e Citopatologia Diagnostica, Divisione Italiana della International Academy of Pathology , 2024

How to Cite

[1]
Belloni, E., Bonoldi, E., Bovo, G., Buoro, S., Cerati, M., Cribiú, F.M., Dainese, E., Del Gobbo, A., Facchetti, M., Gianatti, A., Gianelli, U., Giunta, P., L’Imperio, V., Milione, M., Nebuloni, M., Pagni, F., Paulli, M., Piga, A. and Pasotti, F. 2024. Digital transition in pathology lab: a survey from the Lombardy region. Pathologica - Journal of the Italian Society of Anatomic Pathology and Diagnostic Cytopathology. 116, 4 (Sep. 2024), 232-241. DOI:https://doi.org/10.32074/1591-951X-1004.
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