West Valley Dermatology Case Study
Case Study
West Valley Dermatology
Partnering with PathologyWatch enabled West Valley Dermatology to gain instant access to their patients’ digital slides.
DIGITAL SLIDES REASSURE PATIENTS BEFORE MOHS SURGERY
At a Glance
West Valley Dermatology in West Valley, Utah, concentrates on improving the health, function, and appearance of patients’ skin through medical and surgical dermatology. Jesse Jensen, DO, a board-certified dermatologist and a fellow member of the American Society of Mohs Surgery, owns and operates the practice. Patients in West Valley have come to rely on the practice for Mohs micrographic surgery, minimally invasive treatments, and cosmetic work.
“The digital slides are useful tools that help Mohs surgeons illustrate biopsy findings for patients who want to see a visual confirmation of their condition. A picture’s worth a thousand words. You can explain all of the science in the world, but when a patient sees a digital slide, they know it.”
—Jesse Jensen, DO
West Valley, UT
The Challenge
Dr. Jensen performs Mohs surgery between one and two days every week. After many of his patients with positive biopsies and cancers saw healed areas, they found it difficult to understand the need to undergo additional surgical procedures. Instead, many opted for watchful waiting and allowed critical months to pass.
Meanwhile, the staff at West Valley Dermatology found they were wasting time checking the fax queue and following up with medical assistants and pathologists to chase down pathology reports. In addition, sometimes details didn’t make it to the note that should have reached the pathologist.
The Solution
The PathologyWatch slide viewer gives Dr. Jensen instant access to his patients’ digital slides. Instead of relying solely on words to describe their condition, he now displays slides on a tablet to help his patients visualize the histology and see the difference between their tumor cells and normal cells. He says, “A large majority of patients go forward with treatment feeling much more emotionally secure and trusting their physician made the right decision for them based on having a picture.”
At the same time, PathologyWatch integrated with the West Valley Dermatology EMR system, which imports results directly from the dermatopathologist. Now when Dr. Jensen is with a patient, he can pull up biopsy results in the EMR without leaving the room.
The Solution
By working with PathologyWatch, Advanced Dermatology and Skin Cancer Specialists gained access to a network of insurance partnerships. After a smooth transition, they also discovered the simplicity of a digital pathology workflow, with results and slides delivered directly to each patient’s EHR.
THE RESULTS
“The slide viewer resolution is phenomenal!
“I can zoom right in at high magnification on my iPad and see the structure very well—it’s very high resolution.”
— Jesse Jensen, DO
Increased Patient Comprehension
When patients who have already had a primary biopsy want to know why they need an additional procedure, Dr. Jensen shares digital slides in the PathologyWatch slide viewer to help raise confidence about moving forward with Mohs surgery.
Greater Office Efficiency
EMR integration saves the staff three hours a month chasing down reports and another seven hours a month importing the results. The digital slides allow staff members to quickly confirm suspected diagnoses and have a more profound clinical pathologic correlation.
Surgical Reassurance
Before performing a Mohs procedure, Dr. Jensen pulls up the histology and reviews the digital slide to make a decision based on what he sees and how the patient is presenting.
Communicative Dermatopathologist
Dr. Jensen can exchange text messages with his PathologyWatch dermatopathologist to help resolve concerning cases.
