Key highlights: • The OSUCCC – James launched a digital pathology second opinion consult service at Wooster Community Hospital, expanding access to advanced cancer diagnostics in regional communities. • The service uses computer enhanced, high resolution, diagnostic-grade imagery to improve the speed and accessibility of cancer diagnosis and treatment planning. • Built through The James Cancer Network, and powered by technology partner PathPresenter, the program brings OSUCCC – James expertise and world class cancer care closer to home for patients. COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) has launched its first fully integrated digital pathology second-opinion regional hospital consult service at Wooster Community Hospital, expanding access to these advanced tools for diagnosing and staging suspected cancer to regional communities. The accuracy of pathology interpretation for tissue biopsies is critical to effective cancer treatment planning. To expand access to expert review, OSUCCC has adopted a digital approach that enables smaller and regional hospitals to quickly obtain remote second opinions from its nationally recognized subspecialists. This capability is powered by PathPresenter, a digital pathology image management platform that enables easy case sharing and remote consultation. “There is no routine cancer, so expanding access to the most advanced pathology diagnosis and staging tools into regional communities is such an important step in delivering gold-standard cancer care to people affected by this disease,” said Giovanni Lujan, MD, professor and vice chair of pathology and director of clinical informatics for The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Pathology testing sets the course for treatment, so it is critical that this testing is done accurately and as quickly as possible to ensure patients have access to the best treatment for their specific cancer – the first time.” Bridging regional cancer diagnosis and care Wooster Community Hospital is part of the The James Cancer Network, a select group of regional healthcare providers who have partnered with the OSUCCC – James, central Ohio’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, to bring the most advanced cancer services to their local communities. Network partners receive exclusive training, patient education, support programs and access to clinical research. This digital pathology remote consult service builds upon existing offerings in place at Wooster Community Hospital through The James Cancer Network to allow world-class cancer care closer to home. Through this expanded program enabled by the PathPresenter platform, Ohio State expects to make a significant impact through remote cancer pathology consults. Ohio State can work with Wooster to connect patients to clinical trials and additional treatment options. As part of its ongoing commitment to regional and rural health, the OSUCCC – James digital pathology team expects to launch additional customized second-opinion consult services in the future through other James Cancer Network partner hospitals in Ohio and other health system partners across the United States and internationally. “Every hospital is different. Our goal is to provide customized, flexible solutions for delivering timely second-opinions and comprehensive diagnostic reports. It allows smaller hospitals to gain quick access to nationally recognized subspecialized expertise without having to transport physical slides. This will help improve speed, accuracy and patient outcomes, erasing time and distance as barriers to pathology diagnostics,” said Lujan. To learn more about digital pathology at the OSUCCC – James, visit cancer.osu.edu. To learn more about The James Cancer Network, visit cancer.osu.edu. ###