Psychological Aspects of Utilizing Telecytology for Rapid On-Site Adequacy Assessments

Rapid On-Site Evaluation (ROSE) has been well documented in its ability to improve the diagnostic yield and accuracy of fine needle aspirations across many sites, resulting in better quality of patient management and a simultaneous reduction in treatment costs. Telecytology makes it possible for cytology laboratories to offer ROSE in a cost effective manner, whilst employing only a small number of trained cytopathologists to cover many sites from a single connected location. However, the adoption of telecytology for ROSE has been lackluster. We believe that this reluctance is not only due to barriers such as technology limitations and financial obstacles, but also due to overlooked psychological factors. This article discusses the unaddressed psychological considerations of telecytology for ROSE.