Can AI improve the daily lives of doctors? Numerous studies prove that yes. Faced with an overload of work, what do pathologists and oncologists hope for from AI? Owkin, a Franco-American unicorn specializing in biotechnology, answers these questions among others in the report “State of the Nation : Opportunities and Challenges for Digital Pathology and AI Solutions “.
Owkin carried out this study in partnership with Censuswide among 312 pathologists and oncologists in the United Kingdom, the United States and France in July 2024. As pressures on health systems continue to increase, it highlights highlight the challenges faced by these doctors: increased workload, complexity of diagnoses and professional burnout. It also highlights the potential of AI in the field of health: streamlining workflows, improving patient care, helping with diagnosis, personalized treatment adapted to each patient, etc.
Meriem Sefta, Chief Diagnostics Manager at Owkin, explains:
“When doctors are overworked, it can lead to misdiagnoses, delayed reporting and an overall reduction in quality of care. This can then negatively impact patient outcomes. Digitized pathology and AI are poised to make a real difference in this setting, easing the burden on pathologists and ensuring that patient care is always as efficient as possible.”
Stress and burnout
According to Owkin, the findings of this report highlight the urgency for action to address the growing challenges facing pathologists. It indeed reveals a worrying reality: pathologists and oncologists are faced with an increasing workload, stress and professional burnout, which can compromise the quality of care.
They are :
- 55% report experiencing high stress or burnout;
- 52% cite the heavy workload as a significant burden;
- 40% rate their mental health as average or poor due to their work.
Rising cancer incidence and increasing diagnostic complexity are exacerbating these pressures, as many pathologists approach retirement and fewer enter the workforce.
It is also the health of patients that suffers:
- 35% of respondents say the burdens they face interfere with patient care;
- Nearly 40% say they cannot get pathology results quickly enough and cannot see or help as many patients as they would like.
AI and digital pathology: a promising alliance
According to the results of the study, 77% of practitioners see AI as a way to reduce waiting times for tests and to alleviate staffing problems, 74% of them believe that it can speed up oncological diagnostics. Furthermore, confidence in AI tools is growing: 82% of pathologists perceive them positively.
AI is capable of automating repetitive tasks, prioritizing urgent cases and providing predictive analytics. This could improve not only workflows, but also patient outcomes. However, professionals emphasize one crucial point: AI must complement, not replace, their expertise.
Implementation challenges
Despite this optimistic outlook, adoption of AI and digital technologies is hampered by several barriers: lack of resources and infrastructure (43%), high costs (23%), and insufficient funding (23%) ) slow down the transition.
For a successful transition
The report identifies avenues to support this transformation: standardization of imaging protocols and workflows for interoperability, expanded access via cloud solutions, and education of professionals on the capabilities of AI are essential. But beyond the technical aspects, a cultural change is required: practitioners must be supported in accepting these new tools, particularly with a change in reimbursement methods. Patient perception, already favorable according to 70% of respondents, could also accelerate this adoption.
Owkin hosted a webinar on December 9 to analyze the survey results and provide an update on digitalization and the integration of AI solutions into pathologists’ workflows. If you are interested, you can find it here.
