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When Paul Roseworn flew out on holiday to Ireland and the UK in February to watch the Six Nations Rugby, he didn’t realise he would be caught up in a global pandemic.

Leader in AI-powered cancer diagnostics, Ibex Medical Analytics and provider of digital pathology services in the NHS, LDPath, have announced the UK’s first rollout of clinical grade AI application for cancer detection in pathology. This platform will support pathologists in enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. WHY IT MATTERS Over the years, a global increase in cancer cases has coincided with a decline in the number of pathologists around the world. Traditional pathology involves manual processes that have remained the same for years. These processes involve slides to be analysed by pathologists using microscopes, and reporting is often carried out on pieces of paper. The limited availability of pathologists has required couriers to transport glass slides containing tissue samples between different locations to access expert opinions.  LDPath, which provides histopathological imaging and reporting services to 24 NHS trusts throughout the UK, will use its position as a digitally enabled provider within the NHS to integrate Ibex’s Galen Prostate platform into its digital pathology workflow. With the CE-marked platform from Ibex, prostate biopsies at LDPath will be reviewed by an AI algorithm concomitant with the pathologist’s diagnosis. THE LARGER CONTEXT In recent times, it has been highlighted that the shortage of pathologists in the UK has led to delays in cancer diagnosis, which can take up to six weeks. Together with increased demand, this is exerting pressure on pathology departments while also raising concerns about diagnostic accuracy. In addition, such supply and demand issues contribute to critical issues for NHS diagnostics, including breached National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cancer guidelines and an increased dependency on expensive temporary solutions. ON THE RECORD Sanj Lallie, director of operations at LDPath said: “This is a significant step in realising the benefits of AI tools within the UK as we continue to redefine traditional workflows across our NHS network. Our NHS clients will benefit from this additional quality assurance measure as well as new service offerings, including singular AI screening of all prostate biopsies within a 24 hour period and UKAS internal audits.” Joseph Mossel, Ibex Medical Analytics CEO and co-founder said: “We are excited to collaborate with LDPath to bring a paradigm shift for pathology in the UK, and around the world, increasing efficiency and improving accuracy of cancer diagnostics.” “Cancer cases continue to rise, and with the pathology practice experiencing a worldwide shortage, AI-based technologies can drive new workflows for pathology that will be critical for improving cancer care practices for patients, pathologists, labs and entire healthcare systems.” 

The medical school was hit by an opportunistic malware attack on June 1, and the encrypted data was "important to some of the academic work we pursue as a university serving the public good," officials said.

Data from 50,000 healthcare providers suggests that ambulatory practice visits have not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.

Providers without the resources of larger health systems can still make virtual care available to patients.

Research conducted last year by consulting company Roland Berger predicts that the German digital health market volume will grow exponentially in coming years. The sector could well be worth €38 billion by 2025, said Julia Pietsch, digital health expert at Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI). GTAI is the economic development agency for the Federal Republic of Germany that recently hosted a webinar, 'International Market Insights: Germany – Digital Care Act, Market Trends & Opportunities', that also included Julia Hagen, director of regulation and politics at the German Ministry of Health’s health innovation hub.  Legislative changes made in the recent Digital Care Act have made digital health applications (so-called DIGAs) an enticing market, Pietsch added. Several experts also pointed out that with the largest elderly population in Europe and the second largest in the world – and high numbers of people with chronic and multiple diseases needing home and/or inpatient care – Germany has needed creative health tech solutions. FAST TRACK TO MARKET The Digital Care Act establishes “a completely new framework” that enables doctors to prescribe medical apps and other applications, paid for by public health insurance, said Hagen, while It also fast tracked applications into standard care. Doctors in Germany are set to prescribe the first digital health applications, Hagen explained, with patients likely to benefit as early as this August or September. Apps may also be prescribed to patients when they are discharged from hospital. Hagen also mentioned an innovation fund set up in Germany in 2016 to support new and innovative methods of care and care research projects not yet part of standard or statutory care. The initiative, she said, was due to be extended until 2024, with €200 million available per year. “Health insurance companies can support need-based and patient-oriented development of digital innovation,” explained Pietsch, underscoring the business opportunities entailed for health tech innovators. EASIER ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA The new legislation, Pietsch added, meant not only that every insured member in Germany would have access to an electronic health record by 2021 (a high proportion of the population since Germany has mandatory health insurance), but that teleconsultations would also be encouraged. Moreover, researchers would have better access to patient data. “With the Act, public health insurance companies will have to send anonymised member demographics and health data to a central database, and research organisations and universities can then request that data for research purposes,” Pietsch said. Find out more in the full recording of the webinar, available here.

Although providing services to patients virtually can improve provider efficiency, it's important to consider individual technological capabilities.