Novel AI-supported diagnostics enable unprecedented precision and reproducibility in selecting targeted therapies. AI tools are also essential for reducing the workload and addressing the pressing issue of the decline in the number of pathologists.
Currently, the use of AI-supported diagnostic procedures is significantly hampered by the lack of standards for integration into the highly heterogeneous IT infrastructure of pathology laboratories. This impedes their evaluation in multi-center studies and subsequent application in diagnostic practice, as well as quality assurance and post-market surveillance.
The integration of the latest scientific findings, fast and reliable diagnostic processes, and the comprehensibility of results for pathologists and patients are crucial for the further advancement of pathology. The complexity of decisions made by pathologists, especially in oncology, has increased enormously. At the same time, increasing digitalization provides them with even more powerful tools to effectively support these decisions, such as AI methods. As the main stakeholders in this field are positioned all over the world, EMPAIA International has developed a comprehensive approach to drive the necessary international developments, standardization, and collaboration.
The EMPAIA approach combines:
- Research, technological innovation, and digitalization
- Standardization
- Validation
- Support of certification
- Post-market surveillance
- Platform-based collaboration
- User-centered approach, including pathologists and patients
In Germany, EMPAIA International is registered as a non-profit organization. In addition to representing the interests of the vaious industry stakeholders, it has also focused on empowering patients and enabling them to exercise their right to their medical data. Through collaboration with patient organizations, we aim to increase patients' awareness of the role of pathology, particularly in oncology, and provide them with access to knowledge and data.
