RE: Quality-right first time?

From:Terry.Marshall@rgh-tr.trent.nhs.uk

Bob Richmond writes:
"You probably wouldn't get there ahead of me - if I get an unsatisfactory 
slide, first thing I want to do is look at the paraffin block - since usually 
I find that I'm the one responsible for the crappy result anyway. (Hey, gimme 
a break, I've only been in this business for 38 years, still learning.)"

Ha ha - gotcha. This is the 'lad' who can slice fresh breast! Now were learning a thing or two:-))

however .....

"The small pathology services in which I do most of my locum tenens work are 
usually desperately in need of quality assurance programs. It always 
infuriates the many conscientious histotechnologists on Histonet when I say 
this, but I'm going to say it again - most of the histotechs I work with 
pride themselves on never looking at a slide. I've often wondered what I 
would do to get around this problem. I think it requires a double-headed 
microscope, with review of some slides by pathologist and histotechnologist 
nearly every day. The focus should be on finding problems before they get 
serious - the Edwards Deming approach to it, I fancy.

One thing we surgical pathologists need to understand is that our usual 
response of "this slide's terrible, but what the hell, it's good enough to 
sign the case out with" is part of the problem and not part of the solution."

Hear, hear. If only the end result of the tech. work was a result rather than a slide, and if only the results didn't in the main only require slides that are only 'good enough'.

Terry L Marshall
Histopathologi

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