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Published on: April 11, 2016
Challenges in Pathology Specimen Processing in the New Era of Precision Medicine
Ossama William Tawfik1,2, Janakiraman Subramanian3,4, Samuel Caughron1,2
1The Department of Pathology (Tawfik, Caughron, Mana, Ewing), Saint Luke's Health System, Kansas City, Missouri.
Context.—:
Precision therapies for patients with driver mutations can offer deep and durable responses that correlate with diagnosis, metastasis prognosis, and improvement in survival. The use of such targeted therapies will continue to increase, pushing us to change our traditional approaches. We needed to search for new tools to effectively integrate technological advancements into our practices because of their capability to improve the efficiency and accuracy of our diagnostic and treatment approaches. Perhaps nothing is as relevant as identifying and implementing new workflows for processing pathologic specimens and for improving communication of critical laboratory information to and from clinicians for appropriate care of patients in an efficient and timely manner.
Objectives.—:
To define the gold standard in delivering the best care for patients, to identify gaps in the process, and to identify potential solutions that would improve our process, including gaps related to knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices.
Design.—:
We assembled a multidisciplinary team to systematically perform a gap analysis study to clarify the discrepancy between the current reality in pathology specimen processing and the desired optimal situation to deliver the results intended for patient care.
Results.—:
A practical collaborative workflow for specimen management that seeks the cooperation of stakeholders in each medical discipline to provide guidelines in specimen collection, delivery, processing, and reporting of results with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes is provided.
Conclusions.—:
New tools are required to effectively integrate data-driven approaches in specimen processing to meet the new demands.
Insights
New workflows and tools are essential for pathology specimen processing to enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient care. This study identifies gaps and proposes solutions for efficient specimen management and improved clinician communication.
Area of Science:
- Pathology
- Oncology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Precision therapies targeting driver mutations improve patient survival and outcomes.
- Increasing use of targeted therapies necessitates advancements in diagnostic and treatment approaches.
- Technological integration is crucial for enhancing efficiency and accuracy in healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- Define the gold standard for optimal patient care.
- Identify current process gaps in pathology specimen handling.
- Propose solutions to improve knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices.
Main Methods:
- Assembled a multidisciplinary team for a systematic gap analysis.
- Evaluated discrepancies between current and desired pathology specimen processing.
- Focused on specimen collection, delivery, processing, and result reporting.
Main Results:
- Developed a practical, collaborative workflow for specimen management.
- Emphasized stakeholder cooperation across medical disciplines.
- Provided guidelines to improve patient outcomes through efficient processes.
Conclusions:
- New tools are required for data-driven approaches in specimen processing.
- Effective integration of technology is vital for meeting evolving demands.
- Optimized workflows enhance diagnostic accuracy and timely patient care.
