Demand more: What GI physicians should expect from their pathology lab
To ensure physicians deliver accurate diagnoses, histotechnicians and pathologists must work closely to provide this precise and timely information



While some pathology labs deliver diagnoses within multiple specialties, others, such as Boston Scientific, hone in on a single specialty. Located in Alpharetta, Ga., the GI-specialized pathology lab is certified by the College of American Pathologists.
"The things that we do everyday at Boston Scientific Pathology, including efficient turnaround time, high diagnostic quality and quality customer service, are in my opinion, things that should be the industry standard. Unfortunately, they're not," says Jeremy Miller, MD, Boston Scientific Pathology medical director. The pathologist's diagnosis influences how physicians approach the patient's treatment plan, so it's vital to deliver a high-quality analysis for every test.
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What sets a GI-specialized pathology lab apart
"For that ASC clinician who is solely focused on the GI tract, there is a level of confidence when you have specialty-trained pathologists and histotechnicians," says Torey Andrews, pathology lab manager at Boston Scientific. "They are going to give the best care to make the proper diagnosis and treatment plan for patients."
"Having continued handling of a particular tissue type allows for every member of the team to become experts in that area," says Ms. Andrews. "In multispecialty labs, you open the window for mishandling of certain tissues, and there can be a mix-up."
"Diagnostic quality stems from the fact that our pathologists are GI specialized, and equally important, our histotechnicians that make the slides are GI specialized as well," says Dr. Miller.
What you should expect from your GI pathology lab
A pathology lab delivering excellent customer service will likely achieve the following three missions:
Quality focus.

Customers should expect meaningful clinical data from their pathology lab that helps them best understand their practice and report key quality measures. These diagnostic reports should highlight data that relates to the following:
- Diagnosis summary
- Cancer registry
- Adenoma registry
- Referring physician list
- Options for adenoma detection reporting
