It is understandable there are constraints to how quickly changes to existing workflows can be implemented. The burdens of passing applicable legislation, the administrative and financial expenses and before all else the age-old human resistance to change all slow down progress.
In times of disruptive change, it’s a tempting prospect to be in charge and assume control, in hopes of claiming the motherlode in a goldrush. It’s attractive for companies to dream up entire platforms and ecosystems which exclusively feed their sales funnel. Companies want to make an impression of being able to solve all of the problems in digital pathology. But the number of diseases alone is too great for any one actor to handle, no matter how big and well-established they are. With the task at hand being so massive and far from fully understood to begin with, claiming sole rights can impede the progress of both technical innovation and spreading knowledge.
For a hospital to make the shift to digital can be a leap of faith, requiring a redesign of their workflow. Some hospitals have opted to rip off the band aid fast, like the Granada University Hospital in Spain: https://thepathologist.com/webinar/is-a-digital-pathology-workflow-more-efficient-than-the-microscope A quick approach might not be the best way to go for every clinic. It doesn’t take much argumentation to decide to stick to the old ways, even if the output is much lower than with the prospect of digital. Sometimes a gradual approach is better than a complete overhaul, to at least keep moving ahead.
Nobody likes to be told in their face their way of doing something is backwards. Change takes time, big change takes longer. Grundium has chosen to go the way of open platform to enable hospitals to go digital at their own pace, without disrupting workflow. The Ocus scanners and their software are compatible with all major digital pathology image formats (incl. .svs and .tif) and even with existing digital workflows of other vendors. The Ocus is technology adjusting itself to your ways, not the other way around.
To be truly independent and future proof, new formats and interfaces are included in regular updates to make the scanner stay up to date. The wide compatibility and updates also mean no risk of becoming locked in a system – an Ocus won’t become legacy for as long as slides are viewed.
It is very easy for any hospital or clinic to include a Grundium Ocus in their pathology workflow and change as much or as little as they like. Contact our Sales Director Davide D'incau or CEO Mika Kuisma to learn how affordable it is and how you can move at your own pace in going digital.
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