Gestalt Diagnostics
Bringing Pathology Laboratories into the Age of Digital

Atypical pathology laboratory workflow is a complex, lengthy, and complicated series of events, which requires a manual review of glass slides to render a diagnosis. Digital pathology has been successful in overcoming the numerous limitations associated with traditional pathology. By using a computerized, image-based (digital slides) system for managing and interpreting information, technicians can now deliver rapid and accurate test results worldwide. Gestalt, a digital pathology solution provider, is committed to bringing anatomic pathology into the digital age. The company provides enterprise solutions and services that help transform anatomic pathology laboratories from glass slides, microscopes, and couriers, to a more automated, electronic digital workflow. In an interview with CIO Applications, Lisa Jean Clifford, COO and Chief Strategy Officer, of Gestalt Diagnostics, sheds her insights on digital pathology and how their solution brings the conventional pathology workflow to the electronic digital workflow. She has over 20 years of experience in high-tech industries, nearly 3/4 of which is specifically in healthcare tech.

Can you give me a brief overview of Gestalt Diagnostics?

Gestalt Diagnostics provides our PathFlow solution, a universal, easy to use digital platform for pathology laboratories. Through our platform, we enable Pathologists to interpret, and diagnose patient cases quickly, efficiently, and in a fully automated fashion. Our company also provides top-notch IT services and support to include consulting services, staff augmentation, and interfacing, along with custom development work for our clients. Gestalt’s development philosophy is based on an open, interoperable architecture. For that reason, we are application and vendor agnostic and work closely with multiple vendors in the industry. By working with numerous applications, we incorporate all of the relevant case information, providing a seamless workflow for the Pathologist.

What are some of the challenges your clients face and how do you enhance their workflows with your solutions?

We serve a diverse range of clientele, which includes hospitals, integrated health networks, commercial laboratories, reference laboratories, midsize laboratories, physician owned laboratories, and more. The biggest challenge for our clients is the ability to support clients and patients in multiple and remote locations. For many clients, implementing the best of breed solutions to enhance their workflow is an uphill task.

In a laboratory there are two levels of workflow; the technical workflow, and the pathologist’s workflow. Technical workflow occurs between the instruments, specimens, and technicians. Pathologists do not want to be bogged down by the laboratory’s technical workflow like they are in a typical laboratory information management solution. Our solution elevates the pathologist to be on top of that workflow by providing a unique, fully automated, and completely integrated environment.

Through our platform, we provide the Pathologist with access to their case information, including patient data, patient history, whole slide images, integrated natural language processing such as voice recognition, AI and Image Analysis Algorithms, report templates and we even support manual, glass cases within the same, unified workflow.. Our automated report templates, or ability to integrate directly with the lab’s LIS reporting supports automated reporting, to include synoptic reports. We use artificial intelligence and image analysis algorithms to augment such processes. The single window approach enhances the workflow and also the working environment. The pathologist can diagnose a patient and sign out their cases faster and more efficiently than before. Above all, digital pathology increases the accuracy and the safety of the diagnosis.

What are the features and functionalities of the platform?

Our product is web-based and we offer hosting for the entire platform for the client. For that reason, the clients do not have to worry about OS updates or IT support. However, we also allow the clients to host the platform themselves on premises, if that is the model they prefer. Asa web-based application, our PathFlow solution enables true global access for pathologists 24 hours per day, 7 days per week with a unique, secure login for each user. The platform enables interoperability, communication across time zones and across countries. We have an image management solution that integrates with multiple vendor’s scanners and to do so simultaneously. This provides, the labs with the ability to determine which scanners they feel are the best for their use cases in each laboratory.

Our image management system captures the images from the scanner and matches them with the appropriate case through integration with the laboratory’s ordering system (LIS, HIS, EMR, etc.). We provide automatic case matching and automatic case routing to a pathologist’s worklist. The robust, automated case routing is based on over 60 configurable rules. The laboratory can define and adjust these rules based on their preferences. We offer workflow routing based on parameters like work load balancing, scheduling, licensure, sub-specialty, customer preference, and pathologist’s preference. We provide the relevant case information, clinical history including prior visit history, and any images associated with earlier visits. We integrate artificial intelligence and image analysis algorithms directly within the pathologist’s cockpit for use during the case workflow. Moreover, we offer integrated templates for reporting, and voice recognition capability. We also integrate the platform with synoptic reports so that the information is captured automatically while generating the final report.

Can you tell us a recent customer success story?

A large laboratory that offers different contractual work for their customers, including TC, PC, and Global work, approached us to support their disparate workflows into one single platform. The PathFlow solution provides our customer with the ability to provide a single platform for each workflow and provides their pathologists with access to their cases regardless of their location. Their remote customers are able to access their cases with their virtual slide tray the same day vs. having to wait for the glass slides to be shipped.

What are some of the key differentiating factors for Gestalt Diagnostics?

Gestalt Diagnostics is a relatively nimble organization. We have an advanced technology staff who are able to work with our customers to develop custom applications and seamlessly integrate specific functionalities to enhance their workflows. The experience and expertise of our IT services staff is incomparable. Our IT staff is able to think out of the box and collaborate with the client’s IT department to help them enhance their workflows, support legacy applications and build automated reporting. We also provide interim CIO and staff augmentation in addition to consulting services.

What is the next big step for your company?

We are continuing to push the technology around AI and image analysis and we are continually augmenting our platform by adding more features and functionalities. We are also looking to develop new applications that are relevant to the healthcare industry, such as BugHub™, our wellness tracking app for screening and monitoring of health symptoms such as for Covid-19. At present, our applications include clinical, research and education modules in a single unified and truly interoperable platform.