Three French Hospitals Transform Pathology Workflows with Sectra Digital Solutions

Transforming Pathology Workflows in France

In a significant advance toward modernizing medical diagnostics, three university hospitals from a prominent region of France have recently partnered with the international medical imaging IT and cybersecurity firm, Sectra. The intent behind this collaboration is to digitize pathology workflows, which is expected to enhance both cancer diagnostics and collaborative efforts across the healthcare institutions involved.

Embracing Digital Technology

The shift from traditional microscopy to a complete digital workflow is a pivotal move aimed at fostering better cooperation among the hospitals. By adopting Sectra's digital pathology solutions, medical professionals will enjoy instantaneous access to digitized images of tissue samples, enabling them to make quicker and more accurate diagnoses. This transformation is especially significant in a field where timely and precise evaluations are paramount for the treatment of cancer patients.

Sectra’s technology melds functionalities like worklists, reporting, and image review into a single cohesive application, optimized for primary diagnostics. This integrated approach not only streamlines the workflow but also harnesses AI capabilities to further refine pathology processes and cancer care.

Regional Collaboration as a Goal

The digitization initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at bringing the regional university hospitals closer together. This coherence is not only essential for addressing rising workloads but also plays a crucial role in ensuring equitable access to specialized knowledge. Fabien Lozach, the President of Sectra in France, highlighted the growing importance of inter-provider collaboration in pathology. He noted, "A digital solution provides the tools to deliver consistent, high-quality cancer diagnostics and facilitate collaboration as it’s easier to share cases."

The contracts for this ambitious project were finalized in June 2025 and include the implementation of Sectra’s advanced digital pathology module. On a larger scale, the three healthcare providers combined perform approximately 85,000 pathology examinations each year, meaning the potential impact of this digitization is vast. The seamless integration of Sectra’s module with each hospital's laboratory information systems (LIS) is expected to create more efficient workflows, reducing time and resource wastage.

A Unified Imaging Strategy

At the heart of Sectra's offering lies its enterprise imaging solution, which aims to unify various imaging needs into a single system. This cohesive strategy not only promises to enhance patient outcomes but also reduce overall operational costs for healthcare providers. The scalable, modular nature of Sectra’s system enables hospitals to expand their functionalities gradually—transitioning from one imaging specialty to another or from one enterprise to another without the necessity for major overhauls of their backend systems.

Setting the stage for these advancements, Sectra, which has roots dating back to 1978, is committed to enhancing healthcare systems worldwide. With headquarters in Linköping, Sweden, the company operates in 19 countries and has a broad network of distribution partners. For the fiscal year of 2024/2025, Sectra reported sales totaling SEK 3,240 million, underscoring its strong position within the medical technology landscape.

For further information, buyers and practitioners interested in Sectra's innovations can explore the offerings on their official website. As the demand for efficient and accurate medical diagnostics continues to rise, such initiatives will likely define the future of healthcare delivery in France and beyond.