There is evidence that the rate of clinically significant reporting errors for histopathologists is 1 to 2%. Since histology often provides the definitive diagnosis, error in histology may have a profound impact on patient management. There are things that you can do to reduce error and the impact of errors:
Make sure that request cards and specimen pots meet the requirements of the specimen acceptance policy with unambiguous and correct patient demographics.
Provide clinical information on the request card, including details of previous specimens, whether here or in another hospital.
Question cases where there is an apparent discrepancy between the clinical, radiological and pathological diagnosis.
Review cancers at an MDT.