Revised Reporting (Issuing Addenda and Amendments) in Pathology

Area of Science:

• Medical diagnostics
• Laboratory medicine
• Pathology reporting

Background:

• Revised reporting in pathology, encompassing addenda and amendments, is essential for maintaining accurate patient records.
• Current practices and experiences in issuing pathology report revisions vary significantly across different subspecialties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To align current experiences and best practices for revised reporting in pathology.
• To explore addenda and amendment procedures in anatomic pathology, surgical pathology, cytopathology, and hematopathology.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was employed.
• An online survey on revised reporting was distributed to a national sample of pathologists, residents, fellows, managers, and laboratory directors.

Main Results:

• Survey results revealed substantial variation in standards for creating, issuing, and tracking quality indicators for addenda and amendments.
• A notable lack of standardization was identified across pathology services.
• There is potential for widespread adoption of best practices in revised reporting.

Conclusions:

• Survey insights offer opportunities to enhance patient safety through accurate pathology reporting.
• Understanding current practices and attitudes can inform the development of optimal revised reporting guidelines.
• Standardization of pathology revised reporting is needed to improve report accuracy and patient care.