Telepathology for intraoperative neuropathologic consultations at an academic medical center: a 5-year report

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2007 Aug;66(8):750-9. doi: 10.1097/nen.0b013e318126c179.

Abstract

Telepathology is an attractive solution for providing neuropathologic intraoperative expertise to geographically diverse hospitals from a center of excellence. To date, few reports specifically address the feasibility of such a system for intraoperative neuropathology specimens. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is a 20-hospital system in Southwest Pennsylvania in which the pathology department has adopted a subspecialty "centers of excellence" method of managing cases. The Division of Neuropathology is physically located at 1 hospital but provides neuropathologic expertise to the entire system. Adult neurosurgery is currently limited to 2 hospitals separated by 18 city blocks. We describe our experience in providing remote intraoperative neuropathologic consultations over a 5-year period, from 2002 to 2006. Several approaches are discussed, with emphasis on the current system and the evolution of imaging technology. Diagnostic outcomes are compared among >400 telepathology cases and >1,200 conventional intraoperative cases. Current technology is capable of facilitating teleneuropathologic intraoperative diagnoses in a timely manner, with accuracy rates comparable to those for conventional methods. However, the practice of providing these remote consultations requires a sophisticated and technologically advanced environment along with substantial planning, communication, and training of both pathologists and pathology assistants.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Academic Medical Centers / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Intraoperative Period*
  • Meta-Analysis as Topic
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasms / surgery
  • Pathology, Surgical*
  • Pennsylvania
  • Remote Consultation*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Telepathology / methods*