The digital pathology industry is expected to grow from $736 million in 2021 to $1.37 billion by 2026. PathologyWatch is emerging as an industry leader, blazing a trail for patient care like no other.
In a MedTech Strategist feature, CEO Dan Lambert describes PathologyWatch’s unique position in the dermatopathology space, its success in building a workflow from start to finish, and its unprecedented opportunity to transform the future. Read a few highlights here, or visit this link for the full article.
What Makes PathologyWatch Unique
There are 25 million skin biopsies performed in the US each year and, while many are benign, it is estimated that there will be 99,780 new melanoma diagnoses in 2022. Melanoma is a serious form of cancer that, if left untreated, can metastasize and quickly become fatal. The world is in dire need of a reliable and efficient solution to diagnose skin cancer.
With its focus on dermatology and cutting-edge tools, PathologyWatch is in a unique position to address this critical issue. Unlike other digital pathology companies, PathologyWatch works mostly with outpatient clinics rather than hospitals. This means that PathologyWatch is involved throughout the entirety of the testing and diagnosis process.
Building a Digital Pathology Workflow from Start to Finish
PathologyWatch’s clients asked for more than just a “piecemeal” solution—they wanted involvement at every point in the process. According to Lambert, “They wanted us to manage the transportation of the tissue sample, the courier system, the insurance billing, enhanced bidirectional interfacing, and everything in between.” This was a challenge since they “had to integrate a lot of systems that didn’t talk to each other.”
Lambert adds, “The firm had to build the laboratories, develop a laboratory information system to specifically track skin specimens, buy scanners, create a digital platform usable anywhere (not just in the laboratory setting), forge agreements with payors and partners, and connect with all the major electronic medical record providers in dermatology.”
PathologyWatch was able to successfully build a workflow integrating all the pieces from start to finish. The system integrates with the electronic medical records of Modernizing Medicine, EZDERM, and eClinicalWorks, which cover app. 90 percent of dermatology practices, and the company receives samples from over 120 dermatology clinics, with near perfect client retention.
The Advantage of Control
This fully-integrated system has granted PathologyWatch the control necessary to get accurate, detailed results. “In our own environment, we can assure the quality and standardization of the techniques used to generate a digital image. This means better outcomes for AI. You can get amazing sensitivity and specificity when you take the right algorithmic approach while simultaneously operating in controlled laboratory conditions,” says Lambert.
To read the full article, click here.