PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Dennis, T
AU  - Start, R D
AU  - Cross, S S
TI  - The use of digital imaging, video conferencing, and telepathology in histopathology: a national survey
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.2004.022012
DP  - 2005 Mar 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 254--258
VI  - 58
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/58/3/254.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/58/3/254.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol2005 Mar 01; 58
AB  - Aims: To undertake a large scale survey of histopathologists in the UK to determine the current infrastructure, training, and attitudes to digital pathology. Methods: A postal questionnaire was sent to 500 consultant histopathologists randomly selected from the membership of the Royal College of Pathologists in the UK. Results: There was a response rate of 47%. Sixty four per cent of respondents had a digital camera mounted on their microscope, but only 12% had any sort of telepathology equipment. Thirty per cent used digital images in electronic presentations at meetings at least once a year and only 24% had ever used telepathology in a diagnostic situation. Fifty nine per cent had received no training in digital imaging. Fifty eight per cent felt that the medicolegal implications of duty of care were a barrier to its use. A large proportion of pathologists (69%) were interested in using video conferencing for remote attendance at multidisciplinary team meetings. Conclusions: There is a reasonable level of equipment and communications infrastructure among histopathologists in the UK but a very low level of training. There is resistance to the use of telepathology in the diagnostic context but enthusiasm for the use of video conferencing in multidisciplinary team meetings.