In focus: The global digital pathology market

The term digital pathology describes the acquisition, management, sharing, and interpretation of pathology information — including slides and data — in a digital environment. Thanks to the benefits offered by digital pathology, the global digital pathology market is expected to increase from approximately USD 740.26 million in 2021 to approximately USD 1738.82 million by the end of 2028.¹ The increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular disease is also a major driver of growth in the digital pathology market.² In our infographic we dive into the key metrics that showcase why digital pathology is a key trend for forward-looking laboratories, and one that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. 

What benefits does digital pathology offer?^3,4,5 Remote slide access facilitates collaboration between pathologists, increased efficiency and streamlined workflows, enhanced image analysis capabilities, digital archiving ensuring long-term preservation of specimens, and faster diagnosis and improved patient outcomes. 

Digital pathology is cost-effective. The estimated cost savings over a 5-year period following the implementation of a digital pathology workflow are $1.3 million.⁶ How does digital pathology support cost efficiency in the laboratory?^4,6 Management and administration work are reduced, vendor services are decreased e.g. slide transport, there is a reduction in requests for ancillary services e.g. IHC staining and a potential reduction in required laboratory and office space.

The biggest users of digital pathology equipment are hospitals (36.5% of market revenue). This is followed by diagnostic laboratories, biotech and pharma companies and academic and research institutes.⁷ Digital pathology equipment is categorized into scanners, software, communication systems, and storage systems.¹ Digital pathology scanners currently account for the majority of the global digital pathology market share.¹

In the future, digital pathology in combination with AI will provide pathologists with cutting-edge tools placing them at the forefront of the precision medicine movement.