P30 Declining staff numbers and increasing workload: is there a solution?

Abstract

Within the UK, there is a rapidly rising incidence of malignancies, including cutaneous cancers. Over 1 million new patients are referred to dermatology each year and a large proportion require a diagnostic or therapeutic biopsy. Dermatologists often rely on histopathology to confirm or diagnose cancers, determine margins and perform specialist testing. The increasing rates of cancers are adding significantly to the histopathology workload. According to the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath), only 3% of departments report having adequate staff to meet clinical demand. There are a significant number of unfilled training posts and a concurrent retirement crisis, with 25% of all pathologists over 55 years old. It can take up to 15 years to train consultants, with the more experienced able to handle greater workloads. The lack of pathologists, with widespread vacancies, has a significant impact. The resulting costs to the health service of employing locums and outsourcing work have been estimated to be £27 million annually. For patients, the costs of these shortages mean delays in diagnosis and treatment. A RCPath key performance indicator advises that 80% of cases should be reported within 7–10 calendar days. Across dermatology departments, there is wide reported variation in reporting times from 1 to 28 weeks. In 2019, the longest wait, on average, was 5.8 weeks. We surveyed 60 histopathology consultants across different National Health Service trusts in England to determine the reasons behind these delays. The survey response rate was 45%. The results showed that 78% of departments have unfilled posts, 83% have employed locum staff or outsourced reporting of skin biopsies in the last 5 years and only 20% are able to meet the RCPath guidance. Additionally, almost one-quarter reported that they have had complaints or serious incidences related to delayed dermatopathology reporting. Survey comments revealed many other areas of potential diagnostic delay from sample labelling and prioritizing to prolonged laboratory processing times, unclear pathways to expedite samples and the lack of histopathology secretaries. This survey highlights the increasing workforce demands and emphasizes the need for innovative changes to avoid delays in patient care. Possible solutions to address increased workload in an understaffed environment include adequate secretarial support, increasing pathology pathway navigators who prioritize urgent cases, improving information technology services, digital slide reporting and developing artificial intelligence to screen samples. Increasing dermatopathology training and exposure to histopathology at a junior level is mandatory. Raising these issues and making them a key investment priority for the government is imperative.

Skin and Syntax: Large Language Models in Dermatopathology

“…These language models, if trained and validated on relevant materials, may assist experts, through analyzing the content of textual inputs, in comprehending the nuances of clinical notes, research papers, and pathology reports, aiding in more accurate diagnoses and informed treatment planning [9]. The complexity of dermatopathology cases has been increasing [10], and among 60 surveyed consultants in the UK, almost one-quarter reported complaints or serious incidents related to delayed dermatopathology reporting [11]. LLMs may be able to help improve dermatopathologists' productivity and reduce reporting times.…”

Joining forces for pathology diagnostics with AI assistance: The EMPAIA initiative

“…Pathology, a central diagnostic part of precision medicine, thus faces a substantial increase in workload. 1 , 2 , 3 At the same time, there is a global shortage of pathologists. 4 , 5 , 6 AI-assisted image and data analysis could increase pathologists' productivity.…”