title: Diagnosis of major cancer resection specimens with virtual slides: impact of a novel digital pathology workstation.
abstract: Digital pathology promises a number of benefits in efficiency in surgical pathology, yet the longer time required to review a virtual slide than a glass slide currently represents a significant barrier to the routine use of digital pathology. We aimed to create a novel workstation that enables pathologists to view a case as quickly as on the conventional microscope. The Leeds Virtual Microscope (LVM) was evaluated using a mixed factorial experimental design. Twelve consultant pathologists took part, each viewing one long cancer case (12-25 slides) on the LVM and one on a conventional microscope. Total time taken and diagnostic confidence were similar for the microscope and LVM, as was the mean slide viewing time. On the LVM, participants spent a significantly greater proportion of the total task time viewing slides and revisited slides more often. The unique design of the LVM, enabling real-time rendering of virtual slides while providing users with a quick and intuitive way to navigate within and between slides, makes use of digital pathology in routine practice a realistic possibility. With further practice with the system, diagnostic efficiency on the LVM is likely to increase yet more.
authors.affiliation: School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9UT, UK. Electronic address: r.randell@leeds.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Randell
authors.affiliation: School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Roy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ruddle
authors.affiliation: School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Rhys G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Medical Radiation Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2150, Australia.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mello-Thoms
authors.affiliation: St. James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; Leeds Institute of Cancer & Pathology, University of Leeds, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK.
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Treanor
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010340:Pathology, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019113:Telepathology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Digital pathology; Telepathology; Time to diagnosis; Virtual slides; Whole slide imaging