COST Action “EuroTelepath”: digital pathology integration in electronic health record, including primary care centres

INTRODUCTION: Digital pathology includes the information technology that allows for the management of information, including data and images, generated in an anatomic pathology department. COST ACTION IC0604: The integration of digital slides in the electronic health record is one of the main objectives of COST Action IC0604 “Telepathology Network in Europe” (EURO-TELEPATH). Fostering use of medical informatics standards and adapting them to current needs is needed to manage efficiently extremely large medical images, like digital slide files. DIGITAL SLIDES IN PATHOLOGY: Digital slides can play a role in disease prevention, primary diagnosis, and second opinion. In all these tasks, automated image analysis can also be a most valuable tool. INTEROPERABILITY IN PATHOLOGY INFORMATION SYSTEMS: In order to achieve an efficient interoperability between pathology information systems with other clinical information systems, obtaining a seamless integration of pathology images (gross pictures and digital slides) with LIS-Pathology Information system in a web environment is an important task. Primary care information systems should also be included in the integration, since primary care centres play an essential role in the generation of clinical information and specimen collection. A common terminology, based in SNOMED CT is also needed. CONCLUSIONS: Main barrier in the integration of digital slides in pathology workflow and eHealth record is the cost of current digital slide scanners. Pathology information system vendors should participate in standardization bodies.