PATIENT-PATHOLOGIST CONSULTATION; PERCEPTION OF PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES
Dr. Hilda Fernandes*
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Pathologists‘ diagnosis frequently have a life changing impact on patients and their families. In this era of precision medicine and individualized therapy, we pathologists have a nondelegable responsibility to re-establish ourselves not just as ―doctor‘s doctor‖ but as a ―patient‘s doctor.‖ Pathologist –Patient consultation is not new. Patient Pathology consult programmes have been established in many centres across the world. Aims and Objectives: To conduct a survey of patients perception regarding pathologist patient consultation. Materials and Methods: Survey methodology based on cross sectional study of the population was conducted for the patients/relatives who came for pathologist consultation for a period 6 months. Survey results were analysed using the ‗top-box‘ scoring method which evaluates the percentage of responses selecting strongly agree to strongly disagree questionnaire. Results: A total 20 pathologist –patient consultations were recorded by the survey. All patients had undergone FNAC of different organs. All participants answered score 5(strongly agree) and 4 (agree) for the questions on time given, language used, understanding the disease and recommending this program to others. A score of 3(neither agree nor disagree) was given by 20% of the responders for the question on repeat session. For a descriptive question on the most memorable part, many of them wrote ―reassurance provided‖, Conclusion: This type of service will make pathologist more visible as she/he is also a part of the cancer/disease care team which in future will help to establish a Formal Patient –Pathologist consult service in the hospital.
Keywords: Patient pathologist consultation, FNAC.
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