Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital in Thailand has incorporated AI and computational technologies into its recently launched pathology information system.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

The PIS at the 300-bed SiPH, a hospital unit under the Faculty of Medicine of Siriraj Hospital, integrates laboratory workflows, imaging scanning systems, and centralised data processing.  

Previously, SiPH, which opened in 2012, did not have its own pathology laboratory. "[We] instead sent samples to the Pathology Department at Siriraj Hospital," shared Dr Pornsuk Cheunsuchon, director of SiPH's Digital Pathology Center. 

In planning this system in late 2021, AI was a major consideration. The PIS, which went live earlier in March, features speech-to-text and smart forms to simplify data entry. Another AI, powered by IBM processing technology, analyses high-resolution slide images, streamlining the identification of potential cancerous tissues – this AI is currently applied to suspected prostate cancer cases.

The PIS is also powered by IBM's data storage and security solutions. 

WHY IT MATTERS

"Speed and accuracy of work have increased," Dr Cheunsuchon told Healthcare IT News when asked about the AI implementation. The PIS, he noted, "introduced significant automation to various aspects of workflow," including documentation and identification of high-risk cases. The system can also automatically order additional tests and provide alerts for major findings.  

"For example, speech-to-text technology has reduced typing errors, while AI assists in prostate cancer case screening by helping pathologists prioritise preliminary results," Dr Cheunsuchon said. 

"The system enables automatic ordering of additional tests and filters cases to provide alerts for significant findings, thereby reducing manual workload and streamlining the overall diagnostic process," he added.

SiPH's AI-driven pathology service has now served over 14,000 test orders. The hospital continues to upgrade and enhance the system, including user interface and experience. SiPH plans to further expand "integrated, automated AI-powered diagnostics" to accurately detect more cancer cases.

THE LARGER TREND

In digital pathology, another Asian hospital, Samsung Medical Center from South Korea, might have the most comprehensive system in the world thus far. Last year, it became the first hospital in the world to reach Stage 7 of the HIMSS Digital Imaging Adoption Model. Among the features of its integrated digital pathology system is 5G network connectivity, which reportedly helped greatly reduce test consultation times.