Hi Marg and everyone,

I also cannot recall who "requires special stains and Immunos to be on the
report, but it is good practice.  The billing department receives many calls
from Insurance companies questioning the billing.  This causes quite a bit
of work (costs money) of the billing staff as well as someone, perhaps you,
in your lab to respond.  Insurance Companies have been known to disallow
payments for tests not mentioned on the report.

In planning for the new computer system at my former place of employment, we
required the vendor to automatically list (in small print, as Bob suggests)
all tests done on the case.  It isn't in place yet but, I understand, is
being programmed.  The situation is not a new one, I asked Cerner some 10/11
years ago to program this ability and as long as we had the system, they
never came thru. (It was one of the many reasons we moved to another system)
This becomes more important in larger institutions with several Pathologists
and perhaps Residents to remember to dictate the procedures. When someone
has to remember to do something, their is usually someone on staff that
needs to remind.  In a teaching institution, it becomes a nightmare trying
to keep the rotating Residents informed.  All this education and reminding
uses up staff time. (dollars that cut into covering the costs of doing the
procedures) which, if at all, barely cover the costs anyway.

Don Hammer, Retired Guy

----- Original Message -----
From: <RSRICHMOND@aol.com>
To: <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 17, 1999 5:56 PM
Subject: reporting stains (billing inquiry)


> Marg Hagerty quotes me and asks:
>
> >><<I think that present day practice really requires explicit reporting
of
>
> special stains in surgical pathology reports. >>
>
>
> Thanks Bob for the info and the link. When you say "requires", do you
think
>
> it is also required for special stains other than immunos? If so does
anyone
>
> know who requires? <<
>
> I think it's required for special stains as well as immune stains. I'm not
> sure who requires what - there seems to be a good bit of controversy.
>
> When the subject came up a few years ago, it seemed like a reasonable
> requirement, and I added it to my reports. (I can do that more easily than
> some pathologists, since I don't go into "status dictatus" - foot on the
> treadle, mouth on full speed, brain turned off - as some of my colleagues
> appear to do when they sign out in the morning.)
>
> Bob Richmond
> Samurai Pathologist
> Knoxville TN
>
>