Considering the Impact of Digital Pathology on Recruitment Efforts

We are currently living in the digital age, and most would probably agree that companies that embrace and implement technological advances will have a leg up on their competitors. When it comes to the laboratory and pathology sectors of the healthcare industry, a major pain point is the understaffing and shortage of available, qualified staff. How might a modestly sized lab or pathology group harness technology to address their recruitment needs? Industry experts say that deploying digital pathology may help.

Recruiting and staffing consultants weigh in on digital pathology

In our recent webinar discussing insights and tips for medical laboratory leaders on recruiting in the current landscape, Edward Dooling, co-founder of Vanguard Healthcare Staffing, and Rich Cornell, founder and president of Santé Consulting, said they’ve noticed an increase in direct applications by candidates to pathology positions that offer remote work. Both experts shared further thoughts in a recent follow-up interview on digital pathology’s impact on both laboratories and candidates.

Though digital pathology and artificial intelligence have dominated the conversation at some of the larger conferences and industry meetings, and many lab leaders are eager to embrace these technologies, actual implementation is much harder, Cornell says. For example, pathology groups operating under longstanding contracts to provide services to hospital systems are oftentimes required to complete their work on-site, he explains. This limits both the pathology group’s ability to service those hospital systems and whom the facilities can actually work with to obtain these needed services, since local pathologists are the only ones who can meet the terms of those contracts.

Meeting key challenges by going digital

Finding those qualified pathologists locally is becoming increasingly difficult. In the current candidate-driven recruiting market, many highly qualified individuals are looking for more work-life balance and flexibility when it comes to their careers, including where they complete their work. As a result, Dooling and Cornell say they are seeing more applications for positions that offer remote work or hybrid opportunities. Offering the ability to work remotely also benefits the labs and systems that are recruiting by providing them with a larger candidate pool since location is no longer a factor.

Digital pathology not only offers highly qualified pathology candidates the ability to work remotely. It provides another solution as well: helping to supply pathology services to underserved areas. As one example, Dooling describes working with global companies that are using digital pathology to provide services to patients in rural underserved countries who would otherwise be unable to obtain necessary diagnoses to inform treatment. Digital pathology can also help rural hospitals in the US, Dooling adds. Such hospitals often have one generalized pathologist on staff but lack access to more specialized pathologists that would have a positive impact on patient care and outcomes.

Luring such specialized pathologists to rural areas can be difficult. Relocating for new opportunities is often not an option for pathologists, Dooling says, explaining that by the time they are fully qualified, pathologists likely have a family to consider, among other factors. Implementing digital pathology capabilities in some capacity offers these highly trained pathologists the flexibility and work-life balance they need or desire, bringing specialized expertise to more patients everywhere. Digital pathology can also help solve staffing issues during pathologists’ vacations as well as medical and parental leave.

Why hasn’t everyone already implemented digital pathology if it solves so many problems?

The short answer is cost. Cornell estimates the cost of implementing such a system in-house to be between $250,000-$500,000. A report from summer 2023 confirms these high costs, stating that a digital pathology system, including a necessary slide scanner, image server, and software, can cost upwards of $500,000 in the United States, while a full-featured scanner alone can cost around $250,000.¹ Dooling adds that though there are now cheaper, off-shore options starting at around $75,000, there are potential trade-offs to working with a foreign provider.

Labs looking to better understand the total costs and return on investment of implementing digital pathology systems will find a useful tool in the Digital Pathology Association’s return on investment calculator.² A recent review of the tool published in the Journal of Pathology Informatics concludes it is a reliable resource that can help with comprehensively understanding the costs, as well as the cost savings benefits, of both bringing digital pathology in-house and maintaining the system once it is implemented.³

Considerations for labs when deciding to invest in digital pathology

Bringing digital pathology in-house is a large investment, particularly for small laboratories and pathology groups. Dooling advises owners to do their own research, understand the available digital platforms and their offerings, and conduct an analysis to fully comprehend the economic impact of implementing in-house digital pathology.

Though implementing digital pathology has a high upfront cost, Cornell highlights that it allows cost savings in other areas, including courier costs and logistics, as well as potentially increasing the value of the company for future sale, acquisition, or merger. There are also some reductions in expenses, such as mitigating the overhead costs of employing a full-time pathologist who works on-site, not to mention relocation costs for hiring and moving expenses. Dooling adds that he has spoken to many pathologists who are willing to accept less compensation in order to be able to work remotely.

Are there other ways to utilize digital pathology without bringing everything in-house?

Digital pathology can also help reduce costs even if it’s not implemented in-house. Having access to a network of digital pathologists allows labs and other entities of a variety of sizes to work with these individuals on a part-time, 1099, and/or as-needed basis, according to Cornell. Such arrangements can reduce the overhead costs of employing these individuals directly as full-time employees, as well as significantly decrease the costs associated with using the technology compared to implementing it in-house. These networks can also provide smaller labs and pathology groups access to qualified, specialized pathologists as needed, without implementing digital pathology in-house.⁴

Though there is much excitement around digital pathology given the potential benefits, lab leaders need to carefully consider what makes the best sense for their organization and budget. Conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the various options for implementing such technology, whether fully in-house or through a network, is paramount to making the right economic decision for your lab.

References:

1. https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-pathology-market-844.html
2. https://digitalpathologyassociation.org/roi-calculator
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2153353924000154
4. https://www.clinicallab.com/new-digital-pathology-network-aims-to-benefit-smaller-clinical-labs-27675