This article is part of the supplement: New trends in digital pathology: Proceedings of the 9th European Congress on Telepathology and 3rd International Congress on Virtual Microscopy .

Proceedings

Organizational model for a telepathology system

Roberto Mencarelli¹, Adriano Marcolongo² and Alessio Gasparetto³

¹  Department of Surgical Pathology, Azienda ULSS 18, Rovigo, Italy

²  General Manager, Azienda ULSS 18, Rovigo, Italy

³  Department of Information Technology – Azienda ULSS 18, Rovigo, Italy

author email corresponding author email

Diagnostic Pathology 2008, 3(Suppl 1):S7doi:10.1186/1746-1596-3-S1-S7

Published:	15 July 2008

Abstract

The technological development of telemedicine has performed important progress, assuming a diagnostic relief role inside of the processes. Among the fields in fast evolution, telepathology is placed among those of greater interest. Up to some years ago, telepathology allowed us to observe at a distance and in real time, histological or cytological slides through the Internet, using a motorized microscope (dynamic telepathology). Currently, telepathology has completed an important step in ahead being possible to digitize completely a slide and to store it. This allows observation of the whole surface of histological or cytological slides remotely with a customary PC, without human intervention (virtual slide). The described systems have exclusive characteristics, so that a "hybrid system" supporting both technologies, turns out to be the best solution applicable in a wide range program. In order to realize the theoretical aspects previously described, we report an organizational model practicable and applicable to a territory in which three hospitals operate. An essential prerequisite in order to arrange an efficient telepathology system turns out to be one structured data transmission network, equipped with elevated guaranteed bandwidth, and one consolidated experience in the registration and management of digital images.