The Bellvitge Hospital transforms the Pathology Department and turns it into one of the leading ones in the country

In the first phase of the service renovation, the different laboratories that make up the Pathology Department at the Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB) have been completely redesigned. The most advanced automation systems have been incorporated for continuous processing of samples and their traceability throughout the entire process. This project significantly boosts the quality and efficiency of a service that is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of hospital patients, as well as patients from other healthcare facilities in the region.

Among the new technological equipment introduced, key innovations include a tissue processor that allows for continuous processing in small batches, an automated system for preparing sample blocks, and two automatic sectioning robots for creating slices from tissue blocks that are embedded in paraffin, which are received from the previous stage. These sections, which previously had to be done manually, are digitized for the diagnosis of various diseases. These sectioning robots are only installed in two other hospitals in the country and help save time in diagnosis. All of these advancements contribute to maintaining a continuous flow in performing biopsies and other techniques, reducing the time until the pathologist's diagnosis.

The Pathology Department at HUB provides precise and reliable diagnoses through the microscopic and molecular study of tissue and cell samples. These diagnoses are essential for identifying and detecting various pathologies at an early stage, enabling quicker responses to treatments. This allows for a personalized therapeutic approach to achieve the best outcome for each patient.

The completion of the first phase of the renovation project, with the involvement of many hospital departments, "has allowed us to establish the most technologically advanced pathology laboratory in the country, capable of handling the large volume of samples required by our reference population, with a service that is critical from both a preventive and therapeutic guidance perspective," according to Dr. Núria Llecha, Deputy Director of the Transversal Clinical Services Process at Bellvitge Hospital. One of the key foundations for the service renovation, which already held the ISO 15189:2023 quality certification, was the use of Lean methodology for continuous improvement.

Throughout 2023, professionals at the Pathology Department diagnosed 40,295 biopsies and surgical specimens, 32,918 cytologies, and performed 67 autopsies. In addition to these studies, the department conducted over 60,000 special immunohistochemical tests and nearly 24,000 molecular studies, as well as cytomorphology tests and flow cytometry techniques for hematological diseases. This activity translates into processing 190,000 paraffin blocks and 255,000 histological preparations annually in the department.

The Digital Tranformation of Digipatics

The Pathology Department at HUB is immersed in a continuous improvement project, leading initiatives in technification, artificial intelligence, and digital pathology. A key highlight is the Digipatics project, which focuses on the digitalization of all samples using artificial intelligence tools and the creation of the largest digital pathology network in Europe, linking the seven hospitals of the ICS. To date, over 2 million histological preparations with microscopic samples have been digitized.

Since the end of 2022, all biopsies performed at HUB have been digitized. The second phase of the service renovation will focus on updating all administrative support facilities and the autopsy room. You can view two videos about the renovated Pathology Department at Bellvitge Hospital through these links.

- Dr. August Vidal, Head of the Pathological Anatomy Service, and Dolores Moreno, coordinator of the service.

- The technological innovations of the Pathological Anatomy Service.