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- Title
Pan-Canadian quality assurance recommendations for interpretive pathology - A national framework.
- Authors
Camuso, Natasha; Prashad, Anubha; Banerjee, Diponkar; Geldenhuys, Laurette; Henderson, Rosemary; Magee, Fergall; McLachlin, C. Meg; Rahmeh, Tarek; Raab, Stephen; Ravinsky, Esther; Têtu, Bernard; Trotter, Martin; Wolber, Robert; Srigley, John
- Abstract
Objective: In response to recent adverse sentinel events in pathology and identified lack of a standardized approach to interpretive pathology quality assurance (QA) in Canada, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer facilitated the assembly of a pan-Canadian group of pathology thought leaders to develop a national recommendations framework for interpretive pathology QA. Methods: A three-stage modified-Delphi process was used to achieve consensus on recommendations, including pre-Delphi electronic survey, in-person Delphi meeting and post-Delphi electronic survey. The document is currently undergoing a targeted, followed by public review period, seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders, including patients. The document will be finalized ahead of the meeting. Data and results: The framework contains 54 recommendations divided into the following areas: 1) Foundational elements, including governance, linkage to existing QA programs, and resources, such as human resource planning, documentation systems, and informatics; 2) The pathology testing cycle from an interpretive perspective, including pre-assessment, assessment and post-assessment of the pathology report; 3) Internal QA policies and procedures; 4) External QA; 5) Approach to expressions of concern regarding a pathologist's performance. Conclusions: To enable robust, consistent and high-quality pathology QA in Canada, this is the first attempt at developing a minimum set of recommendations for interpretive pathology quality that could be implemented into existing provincial QA programs. To ensure uniform quality of diagnostic care for patients, the development of the framework will help guide healthcare providers and senior decision-makers in implementing interpretive pathology quality programs within their provinces. Future plans include the development of system-level indicators, based on the pan-Canadian recommendations.
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Pathology, 2016, Vol 8, p41
- ISSN
1918-915X
- Publication type
Article