Our computer system prints names and numbers on the slide. It is a good way
to double check.

Joyce Weems
Pathology Manager
Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Lee & Peggy Wenk [SMTP:lpwenk@mail.netquest.com]
	Sent:	Friday, February 23, 2001 5:40 AM
	To:	Histonet
	Subject:	PATIENT NAMES ON SLIDES

	Hearing of a trend of printing the patient's names along with their
surgical
	number on the slide label , and want to know Hectometer's opinion.

	I've been in the field 20+ years. In all that time, I've been told
we deal
	with ONLYsurgical numbers, not names, once the tissue has been
assigned a
	number, because:
	1. Less likely to confuse numbers than names, especially if two
specimens
	come down with the same or similar numbers.
	2. Confidentiality.

	Now, I'm hearing (and seeing) patients' names being printed on the
slide
	label, along with the surgical number, institution name, and stain
name.

	I've been told this is part of QC in many places, to make certain
that the
	name and the surgical number correlate when the pathologists are
dictating
	their findings, or when slides are being sent out for consultation
or at the
	request of the patient.

	Anyone out there printing the names on the slides?

	Has there been any comments about confidentiality?

	Thanks in advance for your input.

	Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)