US Digital Pathology 2022
Early Adopters Lead the Charge in an Emerging Market

A Note about This Study’s Sample

The surveyed participants for this study are primarily members of the DPA. Thus, the sample represents the perceptions of provider organizations that are leading the charge in thinking about and adopting digital pathology in the US. Surveys were collected from March to June 2022.

State of Digital Pathology among Early US Adopters

Digital Pathology Technology Use

The following sections explore which vendors the early adopters in this research are using or have considered for image management, scanner, and AI technology. Some surveyed provider organizations did not share information about their technology selections or considerations.

Image Management Systems

 

Leica, Philips Lead in Busy IMS Market

Leica Biosystems leads in considerations and selections and is most frequently used for research and teaching; Philips follows and is used for diagnosis by nearly all interviewed Philips customers. Inspirata, Proscia, and Sectra also have solid mindshare among early US adopters; Sectra has seen the most recent growth for clinical use.

Scanners

 

Leica & Philips Scanners Selected Most Frequently with Own IMS; Hamamatsu, Roche & 3DHISTECH Most Common for Third-Party Pairings

100% of respondents who have selected or are likely to select Leica Biosystems or Philips for their IMS offering report the same vendor as their selection or likely choice for a scanner. Leica’s scanner is also FDA approved for use with Sectra’s IMS, further bolstering Leica’s consideration and selection rates. Of the many additional scanner vendors that play in the market, Hamamatsu, Roche, and 3DHISTECH lead in mindshare and selections for pairings with third-party IMSs.

Artificial Intelligence Solutions

Visiopharm & Paige Lead in Mindshare in a Largely Undecided AI Market

The market for AI solutions in digital pathology is very early, and organizations are largely undecided as to which solutions they will choose—most solutions have yet to receive FDA approval for diagnostic use. The sole exception is the Paige Prostate solution from Paige. Visiopharm and Paige are the current mindshare leaders, though others such as PathAI and Ibex are close behind, indicating that the market is primed for a shake-up as diagnostic use expands.

Additional Factors to Consider

Up-front and ongoing costs are the most frequently reported challenge when it comes to adopting digital pathology. There is little funding to help with adoption and no additional reimbursement to do things digitally. Since the conclusion of this survey, new CPT codes for slide digitization for primary diagnosis have been announced, indicating the potential for future cost mitigation with greater industry standardization.

About This Report

This report was done in collaboration with the Digital Pathology Association (DPA) and is the first US-based digital pathology report published by KLAS. All members of the DPA were given the opportunity to participate, along with additional leading healthcare providers who work in pathology. In total, 55 provider organizations participated, including hospitals, health systems, academic health centers, and reference labs. Responses were collected via a web-based survey administered from March to June 2022, and all respondents were validated by KLAS. Questions administered in the survey addressed topics such as the scope of organizations’ digital pathology use (or plans for future use); vendors selected or considered for image management systems (IMS), scanners, and artificial intelligence solutions; and barriers to broader market adoption in the US.

Thus, this report presents an overview of the state of the digital pathology market in the United States from the perspective of digital pathology pioneers. As the market matures, KLAS will continue to deepen our research and publish more data on the customer experience.