Online Support for Pathologists

A new online resource is designed to enable pathologists to make quicker, more accurate diagnoses.

Called Path Consult, the new resource was launched by Elsevier (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), a leading scientific, technical, and healthcare publisher. Path Consult can be used in the workplace as a differential diagnosis tool to provide clinical decision support in every subspecialty area of general pathology. For the first time, pathologists will be able to conduct a side-by-side comparison of up to three diagnoses at a time, significantly reducing the amount of time spent researching the same information off-line.

Path Consult demonstrates Elsevier's commitment to customers by delivering a truly innovative tool for the end user. Our agile development process is designed to maximize this value in minimum time, said Jonathan Clark, executive vice president, technology, at Elsevier.

Using its established industry-leading references from the publishing firm Mosby, Saunders, and Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier developed Path Consult to include more than 10,000 images for more than 500 conditions at launch, which will grow to more than 20,000 images for 1,200 diagnoses by the fall of 2006. Path Consult was developed using a development process that closely engaged development partners so Elsevier could quickly bring the product to market with the features pathologists really want. The agile process involves a series of product iterations, which are adapted based on feedback.

Elsevier worked with leading pathologists to ensure the quality, accuracy, and usability of the online resource. A plethora of expertly obtained digital images and succinct textual content combined with the ability to compare similar histopathologic entities at the touch of a button will make the job of any pathologist easier, observed John D. Cochran, M.D., a private practice pathologist in Atlanta (GA, USA) who worked with Elsevier on the development of the product.

Elsevier noted that group practices and institutions can sign up for a free trial at the website.



Related Links:
Elsevier
Path Consult