How to avoid the ‘tech talk trap’ to engage a nontechnical audience
June 2026—As the scope and scale of information technology available to the pathology laboratory balloons, so too do the number of proposals for lab IT projects, products, and partnerships. And those pitching such proposals can up their odds of success if they avoid using technical jargon, acronyms, and other IT speak when explaining such endeavors to an audience without expertise in those areas, says communications expert Terry Rubin.
The trouble with discussing technology with a nontechnical audience often starts with word selection, says Rubin, co‑founder of The Professional Communicators, in Denver, which offers videos and live personalized coaching to enhance communication skills. He calls such word-selection issues the “tech talk trap” and identifies three common ways IT-focused pathologists and other types of presenters fall into it.
First, experts who use IT speak with their counterparts, often as a time saver, forget how foreign it sounds to those who do not have expertise in that area. Second, they often share so much detail with their audience that the core message gets lost. Third, experts present too much information too quickly, with few pauses or in a monotone voice, leaving their audience unsure of what matters most.
When a conversation or presentation is packed with acronyms or language that doesn’t connect with an audience, the message is likely to fall on deaf ears, weakening pathologists’ ability to advocate for new products or other pathology‑related IT investments with colleagues, clinicians, or hospital administrators, says Rubin, who spoke about tech talk traps at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s annual global conference in March.
If a message doesn’t resonate, Rubin explains, pathologists lose control of the narrative, leaving the audience confused and necessitating repeated explanations. And repeated explanations, follow‑up questions, and clarifications obviously take up valuable time.
In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, AI, in particular, is hitting pathology “like a freight train,” Rubin says. And how pathologists talk about this topic, whether with colleagues to build alignment or administrators who control the budget, can make all the difference when making a case for change.
For any type of IT request or proposal, Rubin suggests starting the process by completing an audience fluency funnel, such as the one developed by his company (box). The funnel serves as a screening tool to judge how fluent an audience may be with specific jargon and how much detail about a topic to include, which allows presenters to tailor their message accordingly. The funnel starts with broad questions, such as whether the audience works in the technology arena, and progresses to questions that become increasingly narrow, until it concludes with framing information to appeal to the established needs or desires of the specific audience.
Based on the information gleaned from such an assessment, a presenter must decide whether to employ jargon, eliminate it, or explain it. Unless presenters are certain the audience fully understands the terminology, they should eliminate the jargon altogether or use it sparingly and provide clear explanations, Rubin advises. The key, he adds, is to make that choice intentionally rather than by habit.
At the same time, Rubin says, presenters should establish a simple framework for organizing their message or appeal that is based on the three questions every audience member likely will be thinking during a presentation. First, what is the purpose of this interaction? For example, to petition for a new analyzer. Presenters should make the purpose of their appeal clear upfront, Rubin says. Second, what do you need me to do with this information? For laboratory directors, for instance, that may mean going to administration to lobby for funding for an analyzer. Third, what happens if I do or don’t act? Rubin suggests outlining concrete outcomes in this case. For example, what the next six months will look like without the requested technology, or what will be possible with the new technology.
Presenters also need to continuously evaluate how their message is being perceived throughout a presentation or conversation, in part by watching for nonverbal cues from the audience that signal confusion, agreement, or skepticism. Address skepticism and confusion in real time, Rubin advises, to keep the conversation on track.
Pathologists won’t break the tech talk trap overnight, Rubin says, because the use of jargon, acronyms, and other IT speak becomes ingrained over time. What matters most is sustained awareness and small, deliberate changes. “The key,” he concludes, “is to always think like and adapt to your audience.”
—Nicola Parry
Roche to acquire PathAI
Roche has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire the digital pathology and artificial intelligence company PathAI.
“Bringing PathAI into Roche Diagnostics will allow us to combine their best-in-class digital pathology tools with our leading oncology diagnosis platforms to deliver better insights for physicians and potentially better outcomes for patients worldwide,” said Matt Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics, in a company press statement. The merger will also enhance Roche’s biopharma services, the company reported.
The acquisition builds on a partnership between Roche and PathAI that includes the development of AI-enabled companion diagnostic algorithms. It is expected to close during the second half of the year, at which time PathAI will become part of Roche’s diagnostics division.
Roche, 800-428-5074
FujiFilm and mTuitive integrate technologies
FujiFilm Healthcare Americas has announced a strategic partnership with mTuitive under which it will integrate mTuitive’s structured pathology reporting platform with FujiFilm’s Synapse Pathology picture archiving and communication system.
“The integration of FujiFilm’s and mTuitive’s technologies creates a seamless pathology-to-enterprise pipeline where structured pathology reports, including CAP and Commission on Cancer compliant synoptic data and biomarker information, automatically flow from mTuitive through the laboratory information system into Synapse,” according to a joint press statement from the companies.
mTuitive, 508-771-5800
Synergen Health introduces AI-driven RCM system
Synergen Health has released Synergen Health Ignite, an artificial intelligence-driven end-to-end revenue cycle solution for the pathology laboratory.
“The Ignite solution integrates seamlessly with existing client systems and collects, collates, and analyzes information from external sources to provide a comprehensive overview of laboratory revenue cycle performance,” according to a press announcement from the company.
Synergen Health, 877-226-2249
Leica and Indica Labs partner with Lunit on algorithms
Leica Biosystems and Indica Labs have engaged in a strategic collaboration with Lunit that integrates Lunit’s artificial intelligence-powered algorithms into Leica’s staining and digital pathology ecosystem.
The partnership focuses on automating and standardizing the quantification of PD-L1 and other IHC biomarkers using computational pathology tools. It is intended to “support consistent scoring approaches, enable robust biomarker analysis, and accelerate research workflows,” according to a joint press release from the companies.
The first product released under the collaboration, Lunit Scope PD-L1 CAL10 NSCLC, is an AI-powered Lunit Scope algorithm designed for Leica’s PD-L1 (CAL10) research-use-only primary antibody. It is accessed via Leica’s Aperio Halo AP image-management system.
“As a first step, we’re integrating Lunit’s algorithm directly into our image-management software powered by Indica Labs, which enables a continuous workflow for users of the Aperio GT 450 scanner,” said Karan Arora, senior vice president of advanced assays, AI, and pharma partnerships at Leica.
The Lunit algorithm, Halo AP image-management solution, and Aperio GT 450 scanner are available for research use only in the United States.
Leica Biosystems, 844-534-2262
Labcorp to offer full test menu via Epic system
Labcorp has reported that it will expand its collaboration with Epic by making its full test menu available through Epic’s Aura unified platform for ordering and receiving laboratory test results.
“By leveraging Epic’s Aura, the expansion will reduce the time, cost, and ongoing maintenance typically required for lab interfaces,” according to a press release from Labcorp.
The collaboration builds on the agreement under which Labcorp offers its Invitae genetic tests through Aura.
Oracle Health named a CMS Aligned Network
Oracle Health has become a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Aligned Network, a step in the company’s commitment to increasing interoperability by enabling standards-based data exchange across care settings.
“Our participation in the CMS Aligned Networks will help health systems and patients connect data across settings, reduce fragmentation, and improve how clinicians and patients access the information they need,” said Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences, in a company press release.
Oracle’s open, interoperable platform communicates with other CMS Aligned Networks and Qualified Health Information Networks. Last year, Oracle Health Information Network, a subsidiary of Oracle, became a designated QHIN, which are entities intended to facilitate nationwide health data exchange under the voluntary Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement.
Oracle Health, 800-633-0738
UNC Health contracts with Evidently for clinical data intelligence platform
The clinical data intelligence company Evidently has announced that Chapel Hill, NC-based UNC Health has selected its Evidently platform for its hospitals and clinics in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina.
UNC Health’s decision to contract for the platform follows a 12-week pilot test of the technology at the health care system, in which participants evaluated Evidently’s effectiveness in synthesizing information from large and complex patient records. The tool accesses structured and unstructured EHR data, scanned documents, transcripts, faxes, imaging reports, and external health information exchanges integrated into the EHR.
UNC Health will make Evidently available to the full patient care team, including pathologists.
Mount Sinai deploying Sophia Genetics platform
Sophia Genetics announced that New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System has adopted the artificial intelligence-powered Sophia DDM platform for genomic testing and cancer research.
“Mount Sinai’s molecular pathology team will leverage Sophia DDM to strengthen next-generation sequencing capabilities for blood cancers and solid tumors,” according to a press statement from Sophia Genetics. The platform provides capabilities to detect and interpret a wide range of complex genomic variants and consolidates critical steps in the analysis pipeline.