Telepathology in Iran

Pathology is one of the most important and most necessary services in every hospital. Nearly all health services need pathology diagnosis for perfect work. Expert pathologists are the most needed workers in this system. A pathologist may encounter difficult and complex cases during his/her routine practice that need consultation with an expert in the related field. Experienced pathologists are very valuable, and accessing to these persons is one of those favorite facilities that each coworker wishes to have. But finding a kind, interested expert pathologist to consult difficult problems is among the great expectations that each pathologist has in his/her life. Knocking next door and sitting down with an experienced colleague at a double-headed microscope whenever you want is not always possible for many pathologists, especially in developing countries. But it is not restricted to faraway centers. Pathology is a very vast specialty that includes many subspecialties. Practicing in all fields of pathology in a large general hospital is nearly impossible, and there is increasing need to consult cases with subspecialist experts in different fields. So, finding and consulting one of them may also be a problem encountered by pathologists who work in large academic centers in developing countries.

It is clear that the information and communication technologies (ICT) in the health sector could provide a better quality of life to the citizens and an easier job environment for physicians and other health-care workers. ICT can be used wherever it has a clear benefit, such as reaching remote populations, providing continuous training for doctors, and offering the tools for building a national health network.