Omnyx LLC, the digital pathology joint venture between the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and GE Healthcare, recently announced a memorandum of understanding with Argent Global Services, a process engineering and management consulting firm, to help revolutionize the pathology laboratory.
The agreement is intended to provide hospitals and academic research facilities with operational consulting and change management solutions that enhance workflow efficiency and enable seamless transition for adopting digital technologies in pathology labs.
Digital pathology is a new area for many pathology labs, which have traditionally used microscopes to examine tissues. However, recent increases in the incidence of cancer have raised the urgency for embracing digital technologies, as they have the potential to enhance clinical as well as operational outcomes.
Mamar Gelaye, Omnyx
Digital pathology has the ability to cut slide processing time by 25%.1 The use of digital pathology also facilitates greater collaboration among care teams, following the lead of studies demonstrating that seeking a second opinion or collaborating with the care team has the potential to improve the diagnosis and treatment plan for nearly one in 10 patients.2,3
“As pathology ushers in the new, digital era, we believe that its success will rely greatly on three key aspects—smart scanners, brilliant software, and leveraging the full potential of these technologies with transformative consulting,” says Mamar Gelaye, CEO of Omnyx. “Collaborating with industry leaders, like Argent, allows us to strengthen our offering in each of these aspects, and is additional proof of our commitment to transform this critical field.”
Omnyx products include image acquisition devices, workflow software, and transformation consulting. The company has developed the Omnyx integrated digital pathology solution, which enables pathology departments worldwide to move to an all-digital workflow. The company’s products are for in vitro diagnostic use for specific clinical applications, and are intended for research use only in other applications.
Steve Stone, Argent Global Services
Founded in 1988, Argent Global Services is a recognized leader in the implementation of solutions that increase productivity, enhance service, improve quality, and reduce costs. Through the new agreement, Omnyx will leverage Argent’s 20 years of consulting expertise to add a range of pilot offerings into its consulting portfolio around:
- Operations improvement;
- Organizational change management for digital pathology; and
- Performance assessment and benchmarking.
“Together, we aim to improve digital pathology workflow and ultimately help pathologists connect patients with the right treatment,” says Steve Stone, managing director of Argent. “As pathologists adjust to new scanning equipment and software, our joint consulting services will work with them to make a seamless transition, and transform the way in which their labs utilize smart scanners and brilliant software throughout the clinical process.”
The collaboration’s new offerings are expected to be available to customers through Omnyx later this year. For additional information, visit Omnyx and Argent Global Services.
REFERENCES
- Report of the Second Phase of the Review of NHS Pathology Services in England, Chaired by Lord Carter of Coles. London: UK Department of Health, 2008; available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130107105354/http:/www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_091984.pdf.
- Newman EA, Guest AB, Helvie MA, et al. Changes in surgical management resulting from case review at a breast cancer multidisciplinary tumor board. Cancer. 2006;107(10):2346–2351.
- Romanoff AM, Cohen A, Schmidt H, et al. Breast pathology review: does it make a difference? Ann Surg Oncol. 2014;21(11):3504–3508; Epub May 24, 2014; doi: 10.1245/s10434-014-3792-5.
