Remembering Why - Patient Case Studies (OLC)

Course overview

Tissue, blocks, and slides are handled in histology laboratories every day. Procedures and safety measures are put in place to ensure that materials are processed in ways that are consistent with high expectations and quality outcomes. However, it is also important to remember why those specimens are ultimately available: patients. Along with guidelines that histologists need to abide by, maintaining high quality is crucial because of the person behind the specimen. Throughout the presentation, case studies will connect technical expertise back to the patient. Clinical components will be reviewed, such as patient symptoms and subsequent procedures. After tissue samples are retrieved, specimens are sent to histology laboratories for processing, where participants will have the opportunity to take a more investigative look into how specific testing was selected. Diagnostic factors will be discussed and will correlate how histologists contribute to pathologic findings. Not having the traditional patient interaction can cause the histologist to dissociate the specimen from the patient. By sharing patient cases and reminding laboratory staff how important their role is in the process of making a diagnosis, the significance of having a high quality product will be not only be because a guideline says so, but because a patient behind that sample is counting on it.