Practicing Surgical Pathology at a Distance, Need of the Hour: Our Experience of a Single Tertiary Care Referral Cancer Centre Observational Study from Western India During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID 19 pandemic struck the globe at a lightning speed mandating the use of containment measures like social distancing and work from home policies to prevent the transmission of this potentially lethal respiratory virus. Our institute, a tertiary referral cancer center catering to the whole of India (Western India in particular), implemented the “work from home” policy during COVID 19 pandemic. For the first time, the concept of “Practicing Pathology from the Distance” (telepathology) was implemented in the Department Of Pathology. This paper discusses how telepathology was factualized, integrated the problems faced during its reporting and possible solutions into the daily surgical pathology reporting at our institute. We analyzed 135 cases by Static Imagery Telepathology out of the total 385 cases reported during national lockdown in India (23rd March to 23rd May 2020) with later confirmation by light microscopy to search for percentage of diagnostic concordance and discrepancy, if any. We experienced 100% diagnostic concordance in all the cases which tested the experience skill and expertise of the concerned telepathology team. However some diagnostic challenges and technical pitfalls were noted while using static imagery technique like time constraints and image qualities. These problems could be resolved by integrating whole slide imaging telepathology for future use. We conclude that during the COVID 19 pandemic, practicing pathology at a distance by integration of technology, expertise, and team work is the need of the hour and the ultimate solution.