Error Prevention in Transcription and Report Distribution
An anatomic pathology report can drive a patient’s entire treatment plan (surgery, radiation therapy, medical therapy); therefore, the accuracy of anatomic pathology reports is critical. Even if the pathologist correctly interprets the gross and microscopic findings of a case, errors can still occur because of flaws in data transmission between the pathologist and the report recipient. The prosector and the attending pathologist’s findings must be transcribed (either manually or using voice recognition software) or directly entered into the final report. The final report must contain all relevant data points in a format and language that is comprehensible to the treating physician. This chapter discusses errors that can arise in the transcription and distribution of diagnostic data in pathology reports. Strategies for assessment and prevention of these errors in real practice situations are provided.
