By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Should Non-Physician PhDs be Called “Doctor” and be Practicing Medicine?
    November 1, 2011
    Medicare Now Provides Coverage for Obesity Treatment and Prevention
    December 3, 2011
    CMS to Announce ACO Regs Soon
    August 26, 2017
    Latest News
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How the New Requirements for Pathology Lab Accreditation Benefit You
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > How the New Requirements for Pathology Lab Accreditation Benefit You
BusinessPolicy & LawSpecialties

How the New Requirements for Pathology Lab Accreditation Benefit You

Tim_Edlund
Last updated: August 30, 2014 8:00 am
Tim_Edlund
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

bigstock-technician-in-the-microbiology-53809240Appropriate, clear and concise clinical documentation methods are vital for every patient’s medical record. Excellent documentation results in the best possible care being administered, by the attending physician as well as any specialists who are attending to the patient’s case. 

Contents
Synoptic ReportingThe College of American PathologistsThe Benefits of the New Pathology Lab Accreditation Requirements

bigstock-technician-in-the-microbiology-53809240Appropriate, clear and concise clinical documentation methods are vital for every patient’s medical record. Excellent documentation results in the best possible care being administered, by the attending physician as well as any specialists who are attending to the patient’s case. 

In the field of Pathology, clinical documentation is even more critical. Pathologists use patient records for more than diagnostic reasons. They also use it for recommending treatments, for researching treatment methods and improving medical outcomes. It should come as no surprise that The Joint Commission has issued new requirements for accreditation, which began on July 1, 2014. As of that date, every Pathology lab is required to use synoptic reporting in order to qualify.

Synoptic Reporting

As a Pathologist, you have undoubtedly been faced with countless hours of research that were made longer simply because the information you needed was not readily accessible to you. Traditional clinical documentation methods, or even methods that utilize basic electronic health records systems simply do not provide the searchability or standardized data that’s needed for adequate research. As a result, researching a particular type of cancer treatment or type of cancer can take months or even years. This is inefficient at best, and it does nothing for improving the level of care you’re able to offer to your patients. 

More Read

risk management in surgery
Risk-Proofing the Surgical Episode for Patients
The One Medicare Program that Actually Works
Steve Jobs’ Legacy to HealthCare
Why Clinicians Are Frustrated with Health IT
Why Point-of-Care Diagnostic Testing Will Become a Game-changer in Healthcare

Synoptic reporting systems offer a simple solution to this problem by using templates that are built in a way that requires that a streamlined set of terminology, measurements and other data points are used in reports. It also has required data fields that must be filled in when the report is filed. This is an excellent feature because it protects the physician and the patient against any missing data in medical records. 

Highiighting the importance of synoptic reporting is this passage in the CoC report, Cancer Program Standards 2012, Ensuring Patient-Centered Care:

“The cancer committee should encourage its pathology
departments to adopt the synoptic format defined by
the CAP cancer committee for use in cancer-related
pathology reports. This definition is posted in the
CoC Best Practices Repository located on the Cancer
Programs page of the American College of Surgeons
website at www.facs.org/cancer/coc/bestpractices.html“

The College of American Pathologists

As you know, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) regularly issues updates regarding cancer protocols. Keeping track of these updates has been difficult in the past, not to mention time consuming. The Joint Commission recognizes how challenging this has been, yet they also recognize how important it is in order to continue to facilitate excellent treatment plans for cancer patients. Synoptic reporting offers a solution in that it provides automatic updates according to the most recent changes in CAP cancer protocols. There is no longer a need to manually track updates, and all research time is able to be dedicated to patient care and diagnostic responsibilities. 

The Benefits of the New Pathology Lab Accreditation Requirements

While there are many reasons The Joint Commission has started requiring synoptic reporting for accreditation, they all fall under the heading of providing an improved level of care for patients. Synoptic reporting ensures that patient records are accurate, and it also ensures that they’re completed and available in a timely manner. Patient records that use one unified language offer Pathologists the tools they need to research variables quickly and precisely. This is an excellent way to improve medical outcomes over a much shorter period of time. While current cancer patients will certainly benefit from the change, it’s also important to note that future cancer diagnoses will benefit tremendously. That means that more appropriate treatments can be identified and started as well. 

Fortunately, The Joint Commission’s new requirements can only benefit the field of Pathology. Synoptic reporting is not only more efficient, it’s also more cost-effective that traditional documentation methods. As a result, these new requirements offer a situation in which every participant stands to benefit tremendously. Patients will finally be able to utilize the level of care they really need, and Pathologists will be able to research appropriate improvements in care. While some benefits will be immediate, we should expect to experience more and more over time. 

TAGGED:pathology
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

healthcare facilities
Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
Global Healthcare Infographics
June 15, 2025
from gut to glow
From Plate to Wellness: How Everyday Foods Nourish Your Body Inside and Out
Dental health Infographics Specialties
June 15, 2025
beyond nutrition
Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
Health Infographics
June 15, 2025
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy
How TMS Therapy Helps with Treatment-Resistant Mental Illness
Mental Health Therapies
June 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Memory Fitness Programs Boost Learning and Retention

October 5, 2011

The Web-Savvy Patient: Jane Brody and Me

October 5, 2011

Diagnosing Cash Flow Problems in a Medical Practice

March 27, 2014
Health careSpecialties

5 Common Misconceptions About Naturopathic Medicine

October 24, 2019
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?