Audit of Pathology Reporting in NSW
This study forms part of the wider study on patterns of melanoma care in NSW. The project was funded and coordinated by the Melanoma Network with collaboration from senior melanoma researchers also involved in the major melanoma patterns of care study.
Aims:
To assess the quality of histopathological reporting in NSW.
Methods:
Histopathology reports of all primary invasive melanomas notified to the NSW Central Cancer Registry between 23/10/2006 to 22/10/2007 were tallied (n=3784). Reports of in-situ, metastatic, and non-definitive diagnoses of melanoma were not included. A detailed audit of a 6-month subset of the histopathological reports (n=2082) was performed to assess the quality of each report against the recommendations of the 2008 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Melanoma in Australia and New Zealand. The audit reports were reviewed to determine whether they included information on histopathological features necessary to stage the patient according to the 2002 AJCC/UICC melanoma staging system and to guide appropriate definitive management. The validity of the information provided on these variables was also assessed against the recommended units and specifications set out in the guidelines. Relationship between completeness of histopathological reporting and report format, location of pathologist, and frequency of reporting was assessed.
Status:
Completed. Poster presented at COSA conference 2008 and scientific paper in preparation.
