Why won ’t the Pathologist give me a diagnosis? Interpreting uncertainty in Head and Neck pathology reports

Pathology reports often contain elements of uncertainty and communication between clinicians and pathologists is paramount for providing the best patient care. Surveys were given to pathology service-users and pathologists in order to ascertain confidence levels regarding certain phrases used in pathology reports. A focus group was then held with pathologists, to gain insight into why certain language is used and the challenges they face in presenting an uncertain diagnosis. Whilst most of the phrases were interpreted similarly between service-users and pathologists, certain phrases elicited more variation in confidence than others, suggesting that message conveyed in pathology reports is not always interpreted the way it is intended to be.
Source: The British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research