Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/976338
39 Executive Briefing A study published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology dove into the relationship between pathologists and gastroenterologists, noting, "Pathologists must ensure accurate assessment and clear and relevant reportage, and the gastroenterologist must ensure proper and adequate sampling." Errors may occur due to miscommunication between these two entities, from varying verbiage to confusing clinician queries. What you should expect from your GI pathology lab A pathology lab delivering excellent customer service will likely achieve the following three missions: 1. Quality focus. Ensuring high quality should be the number one priority in any pathology lab. "A lab that focuses on quality is more adapt to ensuring it is going to get things right the first time," Ms. Andrews says. 2. Turnaround time. Customers want answers fast, and technology allows labs to meet those expectations. "We want to make sure [we deliver] fast and accurate diagnoses," adds Ms. Andrews. 3. Change management. Many labs are onboarding new clients, and these customers need to have a grasp of the compliance components regulating pathology labs. "Labs should set up clients for success, from how to submit a specimen to what's required on a requisition," Ms. Andrews says. In addition to quality customer service, a high-performing GI pathology lab will possess accreditations. CMS requires all labs be certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, which were designed to guarantee quality laboratory testing. Many healthcare providers may not realize, however, that the CAP laboratory accreditation is voluntary. The accreditation process spans two years, leveraging a peer-based inspector model encompassing regulatory and educational guidance. With the CAP certification, labs are eligible for Medicare reimbursements and are equipped with more power when negotiating payer contracts. The CAP accreditation assists labs with meeting CLIA requirements, ensuring compliance and maintaining test result and patient diagnosis accuracy. "Accreditation plays a huge part for our customers," says Ms. Andrews. In addition to accreditations, be sure to assess turnaround times. A GI pathology lab deals with small specimens, so the turnaround time for a report should occur as quickly as possible; the Boston Scientific Pathology lab set an internal standard to report on 94 percent of their cases within one business day from receipt, for instance. The company offers a secure online portal, which provides customers with real-time, 24/7 access to their GI pathology reports as well as direct results interfaces into their client's electronic health record and/or endoscopy report writer. Customers should expect meaningful clinical data from their pathology lab that helps them best understand their practice and report key quality measures. These diagnostic reports should highlight data that relates to the following: • Diagnosis summary • Cancer registry • Adenoma registry • Referring physician list • Options for adenoma detection reporting Beyond traditional services, GI pathology labs can become a resource for researchers and physicians interested in data gathering and reporting. Many Boston Scientific clients want to know what information a lab provides to the National Tumor Registry. This information offers providers insight into how many specific tumor types a lab diagnoses annually. Many providers are interested in a particular age group prone to tumors, for example, for their own research. Boston Scientific is also committed to offering personalized communication with its pathologists for any malignancy, high- grade dysplasia and significant abnormal diagnoses. A high- quality pathology lab will offer its customers access to pathology support experts as well as education programs for ASC and practice staff. "Physicians should demand more from their pathology laboratory," emphasizes Dr. Miller. "We want to be directly involved in the patient's care and management, and the way that we do that is the way that we communicate directly with our customers." n Boston Scientific is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world.