Case Study
Advanced Dermatology and Skin Cancer Specialists
Partnering with PathologyWatch enabled Advanced Dermatology & Skin Cancer Specialists to maintain optimal patient care by delivering faster results.
85% Faster Turnaround Times For Most Cases
At a Glance
Advanced Dermatology and Skin Cancer Specialists provide the community of La Quinta, California, with an array of general dermatology services. The practice, which sees up to 60 patients a day, offers a full range of cosmetic dermatology in addition to specializing in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of sun-damaged skin, alopecia, and melanoma.
“We couldn’t be happier with the faster turnaround times and personalized service we receive from PathologyWatch.”
—Tony Leuang, Physician Assistant
La Quinta, CA
The Challenge
On a typical day, the dermatologists at Advanced Dermatology send 15 to 20 biopsies to the lab. However, they waited up to 21 days for path reports to arrive. In addition to creating a bottleneck with office staffers, patients eager to learn their results and start treatment programs blamed the practice for the delays.
The Solution
PathologyWatch arranges for a courier to stop by the practice every day to ensure biopsy specimens reach the lab as quickly and safely as possible. After grossing the specimen, the lab prepares glass slides, which are used to create interactive digital images. Those digital slides are read remotely by academic-level dermatopathologists who return diagnosis to the practice in two to three days.
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
Accommodating Service
Though PathologyWatch uploads the results directly to the EMR for most practices, they obliged Advanced Dermatology’s preference to receive results via fax.
Convenient Transportation
Every day, PathologyWatch sends a courier to pick up specimen biopsies from the La Quinta practice and transport them to the lab in Los Angeles.
Communicative Dermpaths
Dermatologists can interact directly with expert dermatopathologists to provide clinical insight and receive answers to questions about the cases.