%0 Journal Article
%@ 1438-8871
%I Gunther Eysenbach
%V 5
%N 2
%P e11
%T Development and Evaluation of the Virtual Pathology Slide: A New Tool in Telepathology
%A Costello,Sean SP
%A Johnston,Daniel J
%A Dervan,Peter A
%A O'Shea,Daniel G
%+ Medical Informatics Group, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland, +353 1 700 5584, Donal.OShea@dcu.ie
%K Telepathology
%K Internet
%K telemicroscopy
%K remote diagnosis
%K virtual slide
%K pathology
%K imaging
%D 2003
%7 13.6.2003
%9 Original Paper
%J J Med Internet Res
%G English
%X Background: The Virtual Pathology Slide is an interactive microscope emulator that presents, via the Internet or CD-ROM, a complete 15.53 mm x 11.61 mm digitalized tissue section. The Virtual Pathology Slide mimics the use of a microscope in both the stepwise increase in magnification (from 16x up to 2000x) and in lateral motion in the X and Y Cartesian directions. This permits a pathologist to navigate to any area on a slide, at any magnification, similar to a conventional microscope. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy and acceptability of the Virtual Pathology Slide. Methods: Ten breast needle core biopsies were randomly selected and presented to 17 pathologists or trainee pathologists with at least 2 years experience in pathology practice. Participants were required to examine each case online and provide a diagnostic classification using online feedback forms. The recorded data permitted examination of interobserver variability and user satisfaction. Results: Agreement between original glass-slide diagnosis and consensus diagnosis using the Virtual Pathology Slide was reached in 9 out of 10 slides. Percentage concordance for slides lay in the range of 35.3% to 100% with an average percentage concordance between slides of 66.5%. The average Kappa statistics for interobserver agreement was 0.75 while average percentage concordance amongst participants was 66.5%. Participants looked at an average of 22 fields of view while examining each slide. Confidence: 81.25% of the participants indicated confidence using the Virtual Pathology Slide to make a diagnostic decision, with 56.25% describing themselves as "reasonably confident," 18.75% as "confident," and 6.25% as "very confident." Ease of use: 68.75% reported the system as "easy" or "very easy" to use. Satisfaction: 87.5% of participants expressed satisfaction with image quality, with 43.75% describing the image quality as "adequate," 25% describing it as "good," and 18.75% describing the image quality as "excellent." Pathologists with a working bandwidth greater than 20 kilobits per second found the download speed of the Virtual Pathology Slide "adequate" or better. Conclusions: Results from this study show that the Virtual Pathology Slide can be used to make a correct diagnostic decision, and that the system is a realistic alternative to dynamic telepathology. 
%M 12857667
%R 10.2196/jmir.5.2.e11
%U http://www.jmir.org/2003/2/e11/
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5.2.e11
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12857667