Article

The surgical pathology report as an educational tool for cancer patients.

Department of Pathology, St Vincent Mercy Medical Center, 2222 Cherry St, Toledo, Ohio 43608, USA.
Annals of clinical and laboratory science (impact factor: 0.96). 02/2002; 32(4):363-8. pp.363-8
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT An educational program for cancer patients is reported that focuses specifically on the interpretation of their surgical pathology reports. In this program, features of the surgical pathology report that are important to an understanding of the biology, prognosis, and therapy of the different forms of cancer are explained to the patients. Individual interaction of each patient with an experienced surgical pathologist, who serves as the program moderator, permits frank discussion about aspects of cancer diagnosis that are of particular interest to these patients, but that are not routinely addressed during their disease management. Opportunities are provided for periodic follow-up with the moderator in order to address any additional questions or concerns that arise regarding subsequent surgical pathology reports.

0 0
 · 
0 Bookmarks
 · 
30 Views
  • Source
    Article: Formatting pathology reports: applying four design principles to improve communication and patient safety.
    Paul N Valenstein
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Eighty-two million surgical pathology and cytology reports were issued in the United States during 2007; a subset of these reports will be misunderstood by readers. Recent attention has focused on standardizing the content of pathology reports, particularly for common malignancies, to facilitate transmission of required information. Comparatively little attention has been focused on the format of reports--the arrangement of headlines, text blocks, and other report elements to optimize communication. To provide guidance to report designers and authors about how to format reports to maximize the speed, fidelity, and ease of information transfer. Review of relevant literature from commercial publishing and aviation and the fields of cognitive psychology and pathology, supplemented with an analysis of 10,000 pathology reports and the author's personal experience as a practicing pathologist. Four evidence-based and time-tested principles can help pathologists format information to communicate more effectively: (1) use of diagnostic headlines to emphasize key points, (2) maintenance of layout continuity with other reports and over time, (3) optimization of information density for readers, and (4) reduction of extraneous information or "clutter." Practical advice is also provided to help pathologists minimize corruption of formatting as reports are transmitted electronically between medical information systems.
    Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine 02/2008; 132(1):84-94. · 2.58 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

additional questions
 
aspects
 
different forms
 
disease management
 
experienced surgical pathologist
 
Individual interaction
 
particular interest
 
periodic follow-up
 
permits frank discussion
 
prognosis
 
subsequent surgical pathology reports
 
surgical pathology report
 
surgical pathology reports
 

Stephen L Strobel