Implementation of a Pathology Teaching Website with Integrated Whole Slide Imaging for Greater Compatibility with Tablets/Smartphones
Milon Amin, Jeff McHugh, Thomas Harper, Jon Duboy, Liron Pantanowitz, Anil V Parwani. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Background: Study sets involving digitized virtual slides at our institution had limited viewer flexibility and accessibility, typically requiring either a flash-based web browser or a dedicated slide viewing application. We modified our online Genitourinary Pathology Study Set, complete with digital whole slide imaging, to be viewable on computers and smartphones/tablets with integrated toggles of answers and explanations, while maintaining compatibility with different slide viewing programs according to the user's preference.
Design: Website elements, originally coded in HTML, were simplified to enhance readability on mobile devices while retaining password-protected access. Hyperlinks to virtual slides were modified for slides to automatically open using an installed slide viewer, instead of a new web browser window. Multiple links to each slide were created to provide compatibility with web-based viewers, Aperio ImageScope for computer users and several tablet/phone slide viewers including Aperio ePathViewer, Objective or Wholeslide.
Results: 4 of 32 pathology residents accessed the remodeled website using primarily desktops or laptops, 10 of 32 used primarily smartphones or tablets, and 18 of 32 alternated between devices with desktop and mobile operating systems. All 32 users reported improved navigation and self-assessment capabilities, because they accessed slides using their preferred slide viewing application; they were not restricted to using one program or a Flash-based web browser. Users also reported improved methods of studying under the new website, such as reading textbooks about the entities they studied on the same device used to access the slides.
Conclusions: Virtual slide sets with multiple-device compatibility allow users to remotely access data via the time, place and 'gadget' of choice, thereby facilitating access to digital slides while reducing the limitations of previously used methods. All of our urologic pathology study slides are accessible using smartphones/tablets. In addition, our model was expanded for users to create post-rotation exams, which residents may take at their preferred time and place; such methods could be standardized for competency assessment in other anatomic pathology rotations.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 1:00 PM
Poster Session VI # 274, Wednesday Afternoon