Anatomic Pathology

Abstract

Anatomic Pathology presents us with a historical instance in which the traditional lengthy, typed report, bearing the physician’s signature, is standard and customary. Given this background, it is understandably difficult to identify and extricate the manual systems and to convince users to adopt an alternate mode of operation more compatible with an information system approach. It becomes quite apparent that lengthy typed pages are neither practical nor conceptually useful on an information system with limited storage. What we have attempted to do with Anatomic Pathology is to optimize basic information and minimize the risk of inappropriate interpretation. Two categories of diagnostics are supplied with each report. A PAD (provisional anatomic diagnosis) will give an indication to the physician of what is potentially possible for this patient. This is followed by an FAD (final anatomic diagnosis), which delineates the type and specific nature of the condition identified by the specimen and subsequent slides and staining.