Digital pathology and artificial intelligence will be key to supporting clinical and academic cellular pathology through COVID-19 and future crises: the PathLAKE consortium perspective

Abstract

<jats:p>The measures to control the COVID-19 outbreak will likely remain a feature of our working lives until a suitable vaccine or treatment is found. The pandemic has had a substantial impact on clinical services, including cancer pathways. Pathologists are working remotely in many circumstances to protect themselves, colleagues, family members and the delivery of clinical services. The effects of COVID-19 on research and clinical trials have also been significant with changes to protocols, suspensions of studies and redeployment of resources to COVID-19. In this article, we explore the specific impact of COVID-19 on clinical and academic pathology and explore how digital pathology and artificial intelligence can play a key role to safeguarding clinical services and pathology-based research in the current climate and in the future.</jats:p>

Histopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic: resilience through adaptation and innovation

“…The real benefits of whole slide imaging pathology are reaped when tracking, extra work ordering, prioritisation and streaming of specialty workloads are all incorporated into an IMS which communicates seamlessly with the laboratory database and ideally the hospital patient information system. 11 , 12 …”

Artificial intelligence and algorithmic computational pathology: an introduction with renal allograft examples

“…The utility of digital techniques has been highlighted in unique ways during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, as remote work and other adaptations have been permitted; it is likely that digital pathology, AI, and other techniques will help to address future threats to clinical services, research, and education. [99][100][101][102][103] We highlight transplant renal pathology as an area of particular interest for these techniques; however, it is likely that they will be extended to essentially all pathology subspecialties to at least some degree. Regulatory hurdles may need to be overcome for widespread application of AI algorithms, addressing consensus recommendations and legal concerns (e.g.…”

“…Computational techniques are likely to be more widely used in the future, as shown by our search of the literature, which showed an increase in the number of citations in recent years (Table 1; Figures 1 and 2). The utility of digital techniques has been highlighted in unique ways during the recent COVID‐19 pandemic, as remote work and other adaptations have been permitted; it is likely that digital pathology, AI, and other techniques will help to address future threats to clinical services, research, and education 99–103 . We highlight transplant renal pathology as an area of particular interest for these techniques; however, it is likely that they will be extended to essentially all pathology subspecialties to at least some degree.…”

COVID-19 and Artificial Intelligence: the pandemic pacifier

“…In juxtaposition to this the pre-existing intrinsic technological and digital base lends itself to be retrofitted to support further artificial intelligent modifications to curb the spread of the virus via the formation of an integrated digital ecosystem [29,30]. Future scope of Artificial intelligence: The future endorsement and wide scope application of artificial intelligence has never been so clear cut and supported [31]. The development of software and technology to improve screening, mapping, data collection and future predictions of outbreaks is well underway and various models are currently being implemented and tested in across the globe [32].…”