Oct 11, 2024 | Dermatology Practice, Pathology Business
The client experience has become a buzzword in all businesses in the last few years. In medicine, the patient experience has become central to running a successful, profitable dermatology practice. And the pressures of offering superior care are high. When patients choose your clinic out of the many options available to them, they trust you to provide a comfortable and seamless experience that empowers them to engage and take charge of their own health and well-being.
As options for healthcare become increasingly more convenient for patients, patients prefer healthcare providers that promote personalized healthcare; they want to be recognized as individuals with unique desires and needs. For example, 92 percent of patients expect their healthcare providers to send them personalized reminders and messages.
Offering a human touch while providing streamlined, accessible digital support will be essential for dermatology practices to both retain and recruit new patients. Here are five ways to enhance the patient experience at your practice.
Offer Educational Resources for a Variety of Learning Styles
When 90 percent of all adults have at least some difficulty understanding medical information, it’s likely that many of your patients aren’t well versed in dermatology terminology—let alone dermatopathology. As a result, many of them may feel lost, confused, or scared when visiting your practice due to a lack of education concerning diagnosing and treating skin conditions.
Not only can education ease worries and help your patients relax into your practice, but it is also shown to improve outcomes and adherence. According to Clinics in Dermatology, those with low health literacy not only know less about how to care for their health, but they also “often report having a worse health status and are less likely to seek preventive care.” On the other hand, with education, patients are more likely to care for their health and follow recommended treatment plans.
Educational offerings personalized to the patient’s learning style are critical. Auditory learners can glean the most from verbal education you provide during the patient visit. Because the majority of people are visual learners, providing written materials is helpful, but especially patient photos and digital images like dermpath slides are even more important to help support your verbal teaching and instructions.
Colorful take-home educational brochures are appreciated and captivating. Younger clients will appreciate linked educational brochures (more green!), informational and how-to videos with live demonstrations on your website or social media feed, links to educational websites and recommended products, and other interactive web-based materials. By providing patients with in-depth information about what to expect, what diagnoses mean, and the importance of treatment in a variety of learning styles, you can better connect with your patients and provide educational tools personalized for the patient.
Define and Perfect Your Niche
Try acting as a secret shopper for your own practice. Would your practice stand out? What do you offer that other clinics don’t? As you examine your dermatology practice, take the time to not only perform competitive analysis but also consider new offerings or practice niches that inspire you and allow you to bring that excitement and energy to the patient experience.
For example, you may have a local family group with a rare dermatologic condition. This could become an area of interest for you, encouraging you to stay up to date with the most novel treatment conditions to help these patients. Look to offer new or unique services that your patients often request so they can receive continuity of care from you rather than going to another office. By finding new areas of focus, you will be motivated to participate in continuing medical education that will be useful, be at the cutting edge of diagnostic and treatment options for your patients, and show them that you care about meeting their needs.
Streamline the Diagnosis Process to Improve Turnaround Time
Your patients rely on you to provide them with a correct and timely diagnosis. According to the College of American Pathologists (CAP), a dermatopathology lab should require no more than 48 hours to diagnose standard cases. However, it’s not always easy to provide those quick results to your patients, especially when there are many variables that can increase turnaround time like inefficient processes, transportation, lab workflows, and report delivery issues.
All labs—including your clinic and associated dermatopathology laboratories—must exercise effective communication, have a written protocol in place, and foster a comprehensive understanding of how results are shared in order to improve patient care and expedite treatment. Open all lines of communication with your dermpath lab, stay in contact about the status of your cases, and be proactive. By developing all communication details and addressing factors that could impact diagnosis, you can improve turnaround time as well as your patients’ satisfaction.
Offer a Dedicated, Consistent Experience
As consumers, we enjoy frequenting places where we know we will get a consistently great client experience. Companies such as Apple, Starbucks, and others understand the importance of providing a superior experience every time. As cookie-cutter healthcare threatens to depersonalize the patient experience, patients increasingly appreciate being known and knowing what to expect at their appointments. This means not only offering personalized digital support to allow easy, streamlined touchpoints with your clinic—like online scheduling and messaging, digital pathology services, and automated text reminders—but also making yourself accessible to their questions both in and outside the office.
When patients visit your clinic, as another aspect to your secret shopper exercise, consider every step of their experience. Train your staff to communicate diagnoses effectively and kindly to patients, pay close attention to how you empower your patients to understand their health and well-being, and listen to their needs. For example, with PathologyWatch’s digital pathology, dermatologists can use digital slides as a visual tool to help teach the patient about their specific diagnosis and personal treatment plan and help answer their questions in a truly personal way. By taking the time to truly help your patients understand their diagnoses, you can ensure that they will feel not only more supported and understood but also well prepared to own their healthcare choices.
Invest in Partners That Also Provide Consistent, Excellent Service
Because many parts of the dermatology office require support from outside vendors, be sure to choose vendors who offer a similar customer experience as a client or colleague. When you have challenges or questions, you will also benefit from partners who will respond to your clinic’s specific needs and requests. Like many healthcare specialties, digital services have accelerated in dermatology, offering new opportunities for collaboration with patients and dermatopathology labs alike. With electronic medical record (EMR) technology, for example, it’s easier than ever to house patient information in an organized location and share it with other healthcare providers, insurance, and more. By investing in these digital technologies, you can not only stay ahead of the curve but also simplify patient processes and personalize experiences.
PathologyWatch, for example, enhances clinic flexibility by providing various reporting options, promoting a personal relationship between the consultant pathologist and the dermatologist, be more accessible for questions, and provide an intuitive digital interface where dermatologists and dermatopathologists can share valuable clinical information like medical history, visit notes, and clinical photos. Enabling automated and personal notifications for important results, providing definitive reports to help solidify treatment decisions, and building a great remote support team are some of the ways that PathologyWatch stands out from other pathology experiences.
Improving the patient experience is essential for the growth and success of any dermatology practice. By implementing these strategies—from offering personalized care to choosing supportive partners—you’ll not only meet your patient’s growing expectations but also stand out in a competitive field.
Aug 30, 2023 | Dermatology Practice, Pathology Business, Press Release
The leader in digital dermatopathology is recognized in the Health Services category of the prestigious list.
SALT LAKE CITY—August 15, 2023—Today, Inc. named PathologyWatch in the top 7 percent of America’s fastest-growing private companies on the annual Inc. 5000 list. This marks the first appearance on the list for the deep-learning AI company, which focuses on diagnostic and prognostic research for skin cancer.
Founded in 2017, PathologyWatch reached number 386 on the list of 5,000 companies for showcasing a remarkable 1500 percent growth from 2019 to 2022. This achievement makes PathologyWatch the list’s top-ranked health services company based in Utah.
“It’s an incredible honor to have PathologyWatch recognized alongside so many notable companies on the Inc. 500 list,” said Dan Lambert, CEO and cofounder of PathologyWatch. “This acknowledgment is a testament to the perseverance and principles of our entire organization, including AI engineers, dermatopathologists, lab technicians, sales and marketing team, clients and everyone in between. Together, we’ve been able to continue our commitment to combine state-of-the-art technology and clinical decision-making to deliver unprecedented patient care.”
The ongoing prevalence of skin cancer in the United States is a driver in the demand for PathologyWatch’s comprehensive digital dermatopathology solutions. There are over 5 million cases of skin cancer detected every year in America, killing more than two people every hour and making it the country’s most common type of cancer.
Lambert, a melanoma survivor, noted, “This Inc 500 recognition reinforces our mission to preserve and extend life for patients while reducing the cost of healthcare.”
“Running a business has only gotten harder since the end of the pandemic,” said Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “To make the Inc. 5000 — with the fast growth that it requires — is truly an accomplishment. Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that are building our future.”
About PathologyWatch
PathologyWatch is the groundbreaking leader of digital dermatopathology services. Through these services, dermatology clinics, hospitals and laboratories can improve operational efficiency by speeding up workflow and enhancing patient outcomes by utilizing the PathologyWatch expert professional team and laboratory services. This can facilitate best-in-class reads and, in some cases, enable additional revenue to the practice by in-housing pathology. With an intuitive and easy-to-implement digital pathology solution that includes access to top-tier dermatopathologists and a streamlined clinical workflow that interfaces directly into the EMR, PathologyWatch brilliantly combines state-of-the-art technology and clinical decision-making to deliver unprecedented patient care.
Apr 25, 2023 | Meet The Team, Pathology Business
PathologyWatch COO Scott Mattivi was honored this month with the Meritorious Achievement Award from Pittsburg State University. The award is the highest honor based on career achievement bestowed by the university’s alumni association.
Mattivi graduated from the university, located in Pittsburg, Kansas, with a bachelor of science degree in biology in 1985 before earning a degree in medical technology from the University of Kansas in 1987.
“No matter where your career path eventually takes you, I think most people retain a soft spot for their alma mater, and that’s certainly the case for me,” says Mattivi. “To be recognized by Pittsburg State is truly an honor. My lifelong interest in science and healthcare was fostered there, and my education and association with Pittsburg State have definitely served me well in my career.”
In May of 2022, Mattivi joined PathologyWatch, which specializes in working with dermatology practices to manage their pathology workflows using a digital model. Mattivi brings strategic leadership and operational oversight to PathologyWatch’s three laboratories, which are located in Salt Lake City, UT, Phoenix, AZ, and Port Charlotte, FL.
Before arriving at PathologyWatch, Mattivi was president of Eurofins-Viracor BioPharma Services, where he worked for more than 13 years. Previous to that, he served as a laboratory manager at Quest Diagnostics for 22 years. Mattivi has earned his Six Sigma Green Belt Certification to ensure the highest quality of processes and services and serves on five different boards in the healthcare industry.
Along the way, Mattivi started programs with clinical lab students at the University of Kansas and Wichita State University to perform molecular science rotations at Viracor. He has been an advocate in sharing the virtues of seeking a career in clinical laboratory sciences with students at multiple regional educational institutions.
In addition to his Pittsburg State award, Mattivi will be honored later this year by the alumni association at the University of Kansas, where he will be recognized on October 6–7 as a distinguished health professions alumnus.
Apr 24, 2023 | Dermatology Practice, Digital Dermatopathology, Pathology Business
By April Larson, MD
Thirteen is shaping up to be a very fortunate number for digital pathologists in 2023. Thanks largely to the efforts of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the American Medical Association CPT Editorial Board developed 13 new Category III digital pathology digitization procedure codes. The 13 new add-on CPT codes, which have been introduced to record the use of digital pathology, went into effect on January 1.
Prior to 2023, lab reports in the US used the same CPT (current procedural terminology) codes in reporting any diagnostic read—with no distinction made as to whether the diagnosis utilized digital pathology or a glass slide under a microscope. Thus, both procedures earned the same reimbursement rates.
The new CPT codes will help track the additional work and investment of digital pathology into practice and help establish a new standard of care by demonstrating its wider acceptance and usage by the medical community, which in turn is a big step in receiving reimbursement for those services. This will continue to push the medical industry toward the adoption of digital pathology, increasing the availability of remote pathology work for pathologists.
Let’s look at the difference between Category I and the new Category III CPT codes and how they could lead to reimbursement rates for those practices utilizing digital pathology.
The Difference Between CPT Codes
The 13 new Category III codes are designed to be temporary in nature. They’re intended for emerging technology, services, and procedures and allow for the data collection directly associated with carrying them out. The goal is to show that these procedures are becoming more commonly adopted so that pathologists can then work with the AMA to shift these codes to Category I status.
I believe the use of these new CPT codes is a helpful measure that the government can use to determine whether new technology—in this case, digital pathology and the use of AI prognostics— is actually advancing the standard of care.
How do Category III codes differ from Category I codes? According to CAP, the new Category III codes may not meet one or more of the following Category I requirements:
- All devices and drugs necessary for the performance of the procedure or service have received FDA clearance or approval when such is required for the performance of the procedure or service.
- The procedure or service is performed by many physicians or other qualified health care professionals across the United States.
- The procedure or service is performed with a frequency consistent with the intended clinical use (e.g., a service for a common condition should have high volume, whereas a service commonly performed for a rare condition may have low volume).
- The procedure or service is consistent with current medical practice.
- The clinical efficacy of the procedure or service is documented in literature that meets the requirements set forth in the CPT code change application.
Category III codes should be reported only for primary diagnostic use; they should not be reported if the digitization performed is solely for archival or educational purposes, developing a database for training or validation of AI algorithms, or for conference presentations.
The 13 new codes are attached to different services and procedures, but the one thing they all have in common is involving the digitization of glass slides.
The use of these codes is exciting both for dermatologists and dermatopathologists. What we’ve seen at PathologyWatch is that dermatopathologists can benefit from remote digital workflows, and dermatologists have quicker access to both digital slides and reports.
Reclassification to Category I codes, which is the goal, requires meeting both general and specific criteria as determined by the AMA.
Potential Game-Changer for Pathologists
While temporary in nature, the 13 new codes have the potential to be revolutionary for digital pathologists for a variety of reasons. Of primary merit is that the codes are widely expected to achieve Category I status in the near future, opening the door to new financial reimbursements.
Clearly, there are significant upfront expenses associated with digital pathology. The initial technology investment, for example, can seem formidable, with scanners running anywhere from $250,000 to $1 million.
While it is important to note that there are presently no reimbursements directly tied to the new CPT III codes, the change is laying the groundwork by bringing a different dynamic into play.
The utilization of CPT codes helps establish the frequency of usage within the medical community. In order to determine reimbursement, this is often determined by committees of experts who help document the financial investment required to use a new technology.
Much like radiology, the wide adoption of digital pathology will help improve the quality of patient care by promoting sharing of information and images with consulting providers, which improves communication and coordination of care. It also promotes more frequent peer-to-peer and expert consultation with difficult cases and patient education and understanding of their disease.
Reimbursement also provides a financial incentive for clinics and labs to invest further in digital pathology. CAP proposals are being considered for development in the next few years through the AMA CPT process. In the meantime, it is important for dermatologists and dermatopathologists to use the new Category III codes to properly track their digital pathology services.
View a chart with the new CPT codes and detailed explanations of what they entail at cap.org. Then, contact us to learn more about how these new codes, and the adoption of digital pathology, could greatly improve your level of patient care and your practice in general.
— April Larson, MD, is chief medical officer and a cofounder at PathologyWatch.
Apr 20, 2023 | Digital Pathology, Pathology Business
There is no time like the present to be part of the digital pathology field.
According to a 2022 report published by Facts and Factors Research, the global digital pathology market is expected to grow at a 13.8 percent CAGR increase in the next five years. In a recent Forbes article, Dan Lambert, CEO of PathologyWatch, spotlights several different market factors that are synergistically signaling exciting growth opportunities ahead.
Increased Demand for Remote Work
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many companies saw increased demand for the ability to work remotely. With a national emergency declared in the United States, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waived some requirements for remote pathology sites. The ensuing three years have shown the benefits of digital pathology, especially as the demand for remote work remains high.
Lambert also sees digital pathology as a way to connect people in underserved areas with the latest technological advances in healthcare, which otherwise would not be accessible to them. “I predict that remote digital pathology will eventually help leapfrog the latest technology forward by connecting individual offices with dermpath experts and algorithms throughout the world,” Lambert writes.
New CPT Codes
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) worked with the AMA CPT Editorial Board in 2022 to develop a series of 13 new Category III digital pathology digitization procedure codes, which went into effect on January 1, 2023. Before the change, US labs used the same codes to report a diagnostic read, whether they were made under a microscope or using digital pathology.
The new codes will be used to track the extent to which digital pathology is being utilized, with the hope that it will soon result in additional reimbursement amounts, allowing those using the new technology to recoup some of their costs.
“I see this change providing a clear financial incentive for labs to invest in digital pathology,” Lambert says.
Clinical Correlation
Digital pathology provides a more efficient means of communication between dermatologists and dermatopathologists. Where the old model functioned with biopsy samples placed on glass slides sent off to a lab, digital pathology streamlines the process by scanning the samples into digitized slides. Dermpaths now read the case digitally and can consult in real time with the originating dermatologist.
“Quicker and more efficient diagnosis and communication can position the patient as the real beneficiary of digital pathology advancement,” says Lambert. ”In time, I predict that digital pathology and remote reads by experts will be the industry standard.”
Single-Solution Systems
Until recently, most parts of the digital pathology process were handled separately. In the past, one company might have specialized in building viewers, while one developed diagnostic algorithms, and another specialized in the EMR systems that tracked each patient’s case. But now, vendors like PathologyWatch, with its Dermpath Optimization Tool, have developed systems that cohesively connect each step in the process.
“The fact that a few different vendors have developed start-to-finish systems is a good thing for digital pathology,” Lambert says. “[It] means the industry will continue shifting to support digital solutions.”
To read the full Forbes article, click here.
Mar 21, 2023 | Digital Dermatopathology, Digital Pathology, Meet The Team, Pathology Business
We had a wonderful time at AAD’s annual conference held last weekend in New Orleans. With 8,500 health care professionals and over 16,000 total registrants, The Big Easy was bustling with the latest in pathology resources and expertise.
Here are a few of the highlights from the PathologyWatch team:
This year’s booth enjoyed a vibrant stream of dermatologists who were interested in learning about dot., the dermpath virtual assistant that helps derms to manage case workloads, view digital images and case files, create detailed pathology reports, and collaborate with colleagues.
Dr. Cacey Peters was on hand to demonstrate how dot. makes reviewing and annotating digital slides a snap for Derms and DermPaths. He also met with more than a few starstruck fans of his popular #GettingUnderYourSkin social media videos.
Though it isn’t polite to brag, we put our best foot forward by producing the show’s most memorable swag: custom socks featuring verruca vulgaris histology. That’s right, we gave warts to hundreds of happy derms.
In addition, a hot pot of Starbucks coffee is just what the doctors ordered to stay alert and keep their eyes on the prize.
Friday evening we hosted our infamous annual AAD happy hour at Rosie’s On The Roof, which is located on top of the historic Higgins Hotel. Hundreds of Derms braved stormy conditions to join us for a classic fais do-do with bottomless hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
Falling on St. Patrick’s Day, the place was packed with festive pathologists looking to let off a little steam and socialize between conference sessions.
The patio’s city views offered the perfect location to reunite with familiar faces and make new friends.
At the end of the night, we gave away special edition “Show Me Some Skin” T-shirts, with the words “Don’t Worry, I’m a Dermatologist” emblazoned on the back. Based on the frenzy they created, the shirts will definitely be returning for AAD in San Diego 2024.
We also handed out custom Mardi Gras beads to get everyone in the spirit of the city’s rich traditions.
Looking back at our experience in New Orleans, we couldn’t be happier to be a part of this inspiring community. It was a joy to meet, answer questions, and share our vision with so many talented Derms.
2023 promises to be a herald year for PathologyWatch, our customers and partners as we continue making great strides in the development of technology and workflows that enhance patient outcomes.
