UW Health Uses Telepathology to Extend Pathology Services, Quality and Efficiencies

UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin is committed to advancing the health and well-being of the people of Wisconsin and beyond. Telehealth services allow for appropriate and timely medical care from specialist at UW Health. Patients who receive telehealth interventions receive comprehensive management resulting in rapid stabilization and improved patient outcomes.

What is telepathology?

Telepathology allows pathologists to evaluate specimens – tissue samples – and make diagnoses using dynamic imaging technology far away from the specimens they are studying. The system accurately displays diagnostic features in a digitized image, which the pathologist interprets via a computerized visual system.

Telepathology studies have proven just as reliable as direct microscopy, during which the pathologist evaluates the specimen firsthand using a microscope.

How does the telepathology program work?

A UW Health pathologist at a main laboratory is in contact with all involved staff at all points in the intraoperative consultation process. High-definition grossing cameras are used to allow for tissue dissection and discussion of issues related to tissue sampling (in a large specimen) or tissue orientation.

When the specimen slide is ready, it is scanned manually via a full 1080p, high-definition microscopic camera with instruction by the pathologist to assure all aspects of the slide are examined.

Advantages of Telepathology

Telepathology increases a pathologist’s efficiency, provides results to patients faster, and is  an effective method of extending pathology services to cover wide geographic areas.

Please contact the UW Health Telehealth department for additional information.