PCMPPACL2602 - CME/CMLE - Pathology Clinics: A New Paradigm in Patient Care-PCMPPACL2602

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar “Pathology Clinics, A New Paradigm in Patient Care” explained why patient-facing pathology clinics are emerging and how they can be launched and sustained. The speakers, Dr. John Groff and Dr. Alicia Joseph, argued that pathology reports are often difficult for patients and even clinicians to interpret, creating confusion, stress, and delays in care. They shared examples showing how direct meetings with pathologists can improve diagnostic clarity, reduce uncertainty, strengthen trust, and support multidisciplinary treatment decisions.<br /><br />Dr. Groff emphasized the historical and practical need for pathology clinics, noting that patients often search online for explanations and may not understand ambiguous pathology language or report comments. He highlighted patient interest, clinician support, and the role of pathologists in communicating directly with patients.<br /><br />Dr. Joseph described how Lowell General Hospital launched and expanded its pathology clinic, beginning with literature review, patient stories, leadership support, and billing planning. She stressed that the clinics are billable, sustainable, and valuable for both patients and clinicians. She shared patient testimonials showing that these visits help patients understand diagnoses, treatment options, and the meaning of tests such as ER/PR/HER2 or molecular results.<br /><br />The speakers also discussed logistics, including documentation, communication with referring clinicians, liability, virtual visits, and use of educational resources such as mypathologyreport.ca and ASCP’s certification program. Overall, the webinar presented pathology clinics as a patient-centered innovation with growing national interest and strong potential to improve care.

Keywords

pathology clinics

patient-centered care

pathology reports

diagnostic clarity

patient communication

Dr. John Groff

Dr. Alicia Joseph

Lowell General Hospital

multidisciplinary treatment

pathology education