Frequently asked questions
What is PITHIA.ai?
PITHIA.ai is a national digital pathology service being developed by NHS clinicians and researchers to support renal transplantation through rapid, consultant-verified biopsy review.
Its purpose is to make expert renal pathology available anywhere in the UK within the time window transplant teams work in.
How does PITHIA.ai differ from an existing PACS viewer (e.g. Sectra, Philips)?
A hospital PACS manages local storage and internal viewing of slides.
PITHIA.ai provides a service layer for urgent donor biopsy review: connecting donor hospitals with on-call renal pathologists across trusts, supporting automated pre-screening for quantitative measures, and producing a report that links verification directly to the transplant team.
Does the "Ghost User" replace the consultant histopathologist?
No. Automated pre-screening prepares draft measurements and annotations so consultants can focus on verification and interpretation.
The consultant reviews and, when necessary, corrects each proposed annotation before sign-off. Final clinical responsibility remains with the human expert.
Can I review urgent biopsies remotely?
Yes. The interface is designed for secure tablet use. Consultants can open a case, review slides, and finalise a report from approved locations with network access.
If review is interrupted, the session can be resumed without losing context.
Why focus on renal transplantation first?
Renal transplantation has particular pressures: limited time, the need for quantitative measures, and the cost of declining viable organs when evidence is incomplete.
The same workflow can support other organ services once the renal pathway is established.
What happens to the data I verify?
Verified and corrected annotations are recorded as part of quality improvement, under established governance.
Where used for model refinement, records are de-identified and handled within appropriate information-governance frameworks.
How does this relate to the original PITHIA trial?
The service builds on the operational findings of the PITHIA trial and translates them into sustained service infrastructure.
Still have questions?
Clinical leads or trust administrators seeking technical or information-governance details can contact the pilot team.