Informatics, digital & computational pathology
Digital and whole slide imaging
Education
Authors: Ashley Hein, M.D., Ana Yuil-Valdes, M.D.
Editor-in-Chief: Debra L. Zynger, M.D.
Last author update: 30 April 2020
Last staff update: 18 May 2021
Copyright: 2020-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Applications of digital pathology [TIAB] education
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Essential features | Trainee education | Continuing education | Learning resources | Roadblocks to implementation | Videos | Board review style question #1 | Board review style answer #1 | Board review style question #2 | Board review style answer #2Cite this page: Hein A, Yuil-Valdes A. Education. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/informaticsappdigpathedu.html. Accessed December 4th, 2024.
Definition / general
- The acquisition, management, sharing and interpretation of pathology information in a digital environment for the purposes of education (Leica Biosystems: Digital Pathology [Accessed 17 February 2020])
Essential features
- Use of digital images in formal classroom training offers many benefits
- Technology allows for the creation of a variety of learning resources that learners at all stages of education can utilize
- Digital pathology allows for ease of teaching to clinical colleagues
- There are many resources for professionals wishing to increase their competency in digital pathology
- Roadblocks to implementation do exist and are outlined here
Trainee education
- In 2009, 50% of surveyed pathology courses in the United States and around the world incorporated or had immediate plans to incorporate virtual microscopy and since then that number has only risen (Hum Pathol 2009;40:1112)
- Digital images have been used in the classroom at all levels of training including undergraduate, graduate (medical, veterinary, dental, cytology technician, podiatry and physician assistant) training and pathology resident training
- Benefits of whole slide images in student training
- Accessible to any standard browser at any time of day
- Standardizes education, ensuring every student sees the same high quality image
- Reduces costs through decreased microscope needs, elimination of the need for a traditional lab space to teach in and less technical staff required to assist
- One teacher instructs several people at the same time
- Image quality does not degrade over time
- Allows for group learning as students view images simultaneously
- Are easily incorporated into student exams
- Allows for maintenance of orientation within the specimen with the use of thumbnails
- Creation of online virtual microscopy courses as well as student self study at home
- Allows students and teachers to make annotations on images (BMC Med Educ 2016;16:311)
- No change to significant improvement was found in the exam performance of medical students trained with virtual microscopy compared with those trained with traditional glass slides (Clin Anat 2007;20:565, J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2016;12:183, Adv Physiol Educ 2012;36:158)
- Many reports of implementation of digital pathology in student training are available as resources
- Use of annotations and e-learning modules (BMC Med Educ 2016;16:311, J Pathol Inform 2019;10:18)
- Transition to virtual microscopy in medical undergraduate pathology education (Turk Patoloji Derg 2015;31:175)
- Cytopathology virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials for medical students (Diagn Pathol 2016;11:1)
Continuing education
- American Board of Pathology accreditation and continuing certification exams
- Study materials for continuing certification, such as modules and practice tests
- Webinars
- Conferences
- Certification programs
- Programs to increase digital pathology competency include DPA: Digital Pathology Certification Program and ASCP: University of Pathology Informatics Certificate Program
- Websites
- The Digital Pathology Association website is available as a resource for those wishing to learn more about digital pathology
Learning resources
- Many digital pathology resources exist and can be used either in conjunction with classroom teaching or for independent learning
- Pathology and histology quizzes facilitate independent learning through testing of knowledge
- Virtual slide libraries provide thousands of high quality images representative of specific diagnoses
- Digital Anatomic Pathology Academy (DAPA) is a cloud based whole slide image educational platform that is free to members of the Digital Pathology Association with features such as:
- My Slide Box: cloud based storage space for whole slide images, easily shareable via a link
- My Presentations: facilitates management of presentations on the cloud
- Slide Library: provides access to institutional and public histologic images and includes image processing features such as freehand drawing, filters and snapshots
- High Yield Cases: features whole slide images with associated clinical history, annotated microscopic features of interest, immune profile and diagnosis
- Quiz and Assessments: allows user to create and store exams using digital images
- Path Presenter provides similar features as those listed above for DAPA but is free to all who register and contains different high yield cases and images in its slide library
- Interesting cases: includes digital histology images with associated history and test questions to improve understanding
- Educational phone apps are easily accessible tools for independent learning that are available with varying quality and costs
- Social media platforms allow followers to stay up to date with the latest innovations by individuals and institutions, such as USCAP, the DPA or CAP
- Facebook groups and pages
- YouTube channels
- Live video streaming (Periscope, Facebook Live, YouTube Live)
- Webinars, blogs, e-learning modules, e-books, classroom wikis, screencasts, etc.
Roadblocks to implementation
- Initial costs of implementation
- Acquisition of high resolution whole slide scanners
- Extra time must be taken to scan in slides in addition to regular workflow
- Optimization of the scanner
- Additional training of staff to use digital software for teaching
- Must pay for digital storage space for long term storage of large image files
- Thought that use of digital images decreases ability of students to use microscopes, although comfort level with microscopes may or may not be relevant to student professional goals
- Poor interoperability between vendors such that images scanned in with the scanner from one company sometimes cannot be viewed with the software from a different company
- Resistance by faculty and staff who feel they have inadequate training in this new technology
Videos
Benefits of digital pathology
Digital pathology advances medical education and training
Social media in pathology education
Board review style question #1
- Which of the following is true about the use of digital images for teaching?
- Difficult to implement
- Doesn’t facilitate international teaching
- Increases accessibility to students
- Is expensive
Board review style answer #1
C. Increases accessibility to students. Using digital images for teaching is inexpensive (numerous free platforms available) and facilitates international teaching. While there is an initial learning curve to learn new technology, once in place digital imaging makes teaching much easier. Additionally, use of existing free image banks allows educators to use digital images without any additional technical knowledge. It also increases accessibility of images to students.
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Reference: Education
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Reference: Education
Board review style question #2
- Which of the following is true about the use of whole slide images?
- Cannot be accessed anytime
- Cannot be accessed anywhere
- Decreases the use of microscopes
- Doesn’t allow image annotations
Board review style answer #2
C. Decreases the use of microscopes. Whole slide images can be annotated at length and accessed anytime, anywhere in the world. This imaging modality decreases the use of microscopes.
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Reference: Education
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Reference: Education
