“In 90% of instances I don’t need you, and in 10% I don’t trust you.”
Taught to a young marketing professional by an older pathologist at a tradeshow, the 90/10 rule of pathology states that in 90% of instances the pathologist doesn’t need any digital assistance in reaching a diagnosis, and in the remaining 10% of instances, that digital help wouldn’t be of any clinical value.
This statement, which typically generates laughter and nods of agreement when told to pathologists, leaves digital pathology vendors with a question that strikes at the core of their product offering. Are existing digital pathology solutions providing true clinical value for pathologists, or do they go the way of many healthcare solutions, coming in to the lab with much buzz and fanfare, and shortly thereafter becoming a dust collector in the corner of the lab.
