Error Reduction and Prevention in Surgical Pathology

The 1st edition of Error Reduction and Prevention in Surgical Pathology was an opportunity to pull together into one place all the ideas related to errors in surgical pathology and to organize a discipline in error reduction. This 2nd edition is an opportunity to refine this information, to reorganize the book to improve its usability and practicality, and to include topics that were not previously addressed.

This book serves as a guide to pathologists to successfully avoid errors and deliver the best diagnosis possible with all relevant information needed to manage patients. The introductory section includes general principles and ideas that are necessary to understand the context of error reduction. In addition to general principles of error reduction and legal and regulatory responsibilities, a chapter on regulatory affairs and payment systems which increasingly may be impacted by error reduction and improvement activities was added.  This later chapter is particularly important in view of the implementation of various value-based payment programs, such as the Medicare Merit-Based Incentive Payment System that became law in 2015. The remainder of the book is organized in a similar manor to the 1st edition with chapters devoted to all aspects of the test cycle, including pre-analytic, analytic and post-analytic.

The 2nd Edition of Error Reduction and Prevention in Surgical Pathology serves as an essential guide to a successfully managed laboratory and contains all relevant information needed to manage specimens and deliver the best diagnosis.

Raouf E. Nakhleh
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Mayo Clinic Florida,
Jacksonville, FL
USA

Keith E. Volmar
Department of Pathology
Rex Healthcare
Raleigh, NC
USA