Dive Brief:

• Technology vendors are vying for a foothold in digital pathology for primary diagnoses even as the sector remains in its infancy in the U.S., according to a report from KLAS Research.
• Among 55 provider organizations surveyed, 33 have live digital pathology programs while the rest are currently implementing or making plans for the future, the study found.
• Industry vendors gaining traction include Leica Biosystems and Phillips, it added.

Dive Insight:

Digital pathology allows slides and data to be captured and interpreted digitally in high-resolution. Normally, glass slides are physically viewed under a microscope by a pathologist. The digital pivot already is a growing trend in Europe.

However, that trend is gaining momentum in the U.S. and some pioneer hospitals, health systems and other companies are considering implementing the technology.

According to the KLAS poll, 13 organizations surveyed reported that they weren’t using digital pathology, but said they would adopt the technologies within two years, signaling a “quickening trend toward broader market adoption,” the study said.

KLAS surveyed 55 provider organizations including hospitals, health systems, academic health centers and reference labs from March to June of 2022 in partnership with the Digital Pathology Association for its report.

Among the 33 organizations with live digital pathology, 21 are using the technology for primary diagnostic purposes, the report found.

Still, barriers remain to adoption. Over 60% of respondents cited costs as digital pathology’s top challenge, followed by integration difficulties, organizational buy-in, pathology resistance, lack of resources and transitioning workflows, the report found.

Currently, Leica Biosystems is the most popular vendor for image management systems. It leads in considerations and selections among providers and is most frequently used for research and teaching, the report said. Phillips came in second and is used for diagnosis by nearly all of its interviewed customers.

Ispirata, Proscia and Sectra have solid market share among early U.S. adopters, while Sectra has seen most recent growth for its clinical technology, the report found.

Among vendors selling scanners, Leica Biosystems and Philipps also lead on considerations and selections.

For artificial intelligence solutions, Visiopharm and Paige were most often considered and selected, according to the study.