Item Code: 3500-E

Item Name: Cytopathology Diagnoses Made More Precise with Laboratory Test Result Correlation

Christine N. Booth, MD

Presentation date: August 27, 2013; Expires: August 27, 2016

Diagnoses of specific non-gynecologic cytology samples may be enhanced with knowledge of certain laboratory test results.  These include both exfoliative samples (cerebrospinal fluid, pericardial, peritoneal and pleural fluids) as well as fine needle aspirate cytology samples from body sites such as the thyroid, “neck,” lymph nodes and metastatic sites.  Following an overview of the subject, a case-based approach is used to highlight laboratory tests that aid in rendering more specific cytologic diagnoses. The use of immunocytochemical stains on cytologic samples to help make more specific diagnoses are also covered.

Item Code: 3500-B

Item Name: Critical Values and Issues in Reporting Cytology

Andrew A. Renshaw, MD

Presentation date: May 28,  2013; Expires: May 28, 2016

The cytology report represents the main product of the cytology laboratory.  While the diagnosis remains the most important part of this report, more and more people other than the cytologist and clinician are using the report for research and quality assurance purposes.  This is affecting both the format and content of the report.  I summarize various ways people have used to try and make the cytology report more accurate and useful for its users, and suggest how it will continue to change in the future

Item Code:  3400-D

Item Name: Workload Limits and Quality Assurance in Image-assisted Gynecologic Screening

Tarik M. Elsheikh, MD                       

Presentation date:  July 24, 2012; Expires:  July 24, 2015

With the current and projected shortage of the cytotechnologist workforce and desires to reduce laboratory costs, markedly increased productivity with image assisted screening, not necessarily increased sensitivity, became an attractive option for many labs. This may be accomplished by imposing pre-determined productivity quota, and reducing QA measures to the minimum required by CLIA. More recent literature, however, has shown that the FDA approved cytotechnologist workload limits are too high and can lead to increased error rate, and that the CLIA-mandated quality measures, by themselves, may fail to detect poor cytotechnologist performers. In this webinar, review of recent literature and recommendations for cytotechnologist workload limits and QA measures are presented.

Item Code: 3400-E

Item Name: Beyond Diagnostic Error! Tips for Avoiding the Medicolegal Morass in Cytopathology

Barbara A. Crothers, DO, FCAP

Presentation date: August 28, 2012, Expires: August28, 2015

Everyone is aware of the medicolegal impact of a false negative Pap test, and cytologists implement quality assurance practices to minimize these errors. There are other situations that can lead to malpractice and we will examine ways that these practices can be identified and errors prevented.

Item Code: 3400-K

Item Name: The LEAN Toolbox for Hard Times: Project Management Tools and Tips for Avoiding Waste in Your Laboratory
Nancy A. Young, MD  

Presentation date: February 26, 2013; Expires: February 26, 2016

In these challenging economic times we are asked to do more with less while maintaining a culture of safety.  This is a “how to” session to learn basic LEAN process improvement tools and project management strategies to deal with the “8 deadly sins of waste” in your laboratory and improve efficiency.

Archive Item Code: 3200-E

Item Name: Quality Assurance for the Evolving Cytopathology Laboratory
John Shalkham, M.A., SCT (ASCP)   

Presentation date: August 24, 2010; Expires: August 24, 2013            

Testing in the Cytopathology laboratory has become more complex with the addition of new test methods and instrumentation.  CLIA-88 regulations that in the past applied only to the clinical laboratory now apply to Cytopathology.  In addition, quality systems have been re-defined by documents such as the CLSI Quality System Essentials and ISO 15189.  The use of both CLSI Quality System Essentials and ISO 15189 will be discussed. 

Archive Item Code: 3100-D

Item Name: The Changing Scope of Cytotechnologist Practice             
Kevin Schofield, B.S., SCT(ASCP)                                                              

Presentation Date: July 28, 2009; Expires: July 28, 2012

It is not new news that the field of Health Care Related professions has begun to evolve rapidly over the past five years.  This is especially true in the Cytology Laboratory. We as a discipline need to evolve with this from the schools on up.  I intend to discuss all the technologies that have come forward in relation to cytology to include liquid based techniques, imaging technology and molecular diagnostics.