[Towards optimal quality in anatomical pathology : standards, indicators and good practice]

The anatomical pathology laboratory receives human tissue samples, which are examined for the diagnosis of disease. At every stage of this process, from sending the sample to the laboratory to communicating the final diagnosis, there is a risk of error and nonconformity. This can affect the quality of the analyses that are performed. Standards and procedures exist, at the national and international levels. Applying these procedures and adhering to the current standards help to reduce risk of errors, to improve diagnostic accuracy and speed and ultimately to provide optimal patient care.