CAPcast from the College of American Pathologists

This month we’ll look at recent efforts to strengthen the national blood supply, the passing of an omnibus bill by Congress, and the latest updates about the PREVENT Pandemics Act. We will also sit down with the Chair of the CAP’s Federal and State Affairs Committee, Dr. David Gang, to talk about the CAP’s legislative asks for this year’s Hill Day and what participants can do to prepare.

Integration of external laboratory test results without careful review could lead to significant patient safety issues, particularly as we move towards ever increasing usages of clinical decision support. These interoperability issues preclude artificial intelligence (AI) from reaching its potential, and instead introduce new risks pathologists need to be cognizant of, explains Monica de Baca, MD, FCAP. in this CAPcast interview. Dr. de Baca is moderating a panel discussion on this topic at the Pathologists Leadership Summit, which will be held virtually and in person in Washington, DC from April 30-May 3. The title of this panel discussion is "Towards Laboratory Data Democratization and Artificial Intelligence: Underlying Standards and What Pathologists Need to Know" and will be held on Sunday May 1, from 3:00-4:00 pm EST. For more information, please visit pathologistsleadershipsummit.org.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In 2022, the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center, estimates that more than 150,000 patients will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the United States, with more than 52,000 dying of the disease. Early detection through prevention and screening is proven to dramatically reduce fatalities from this cancer. The CAP Cancer Protocols help ensure that all pathology reports contain necessary data elements to improve patient care. In this CAPcast discussion, pathologists Lawrence Burgart, MD, FCAP, and William Chopp, MD, FCAP, members of the CAP Cancer Committee are joined by Manish Sharma, MD, an oncologist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Associated Director of Clinical Research at START Midwest, to discuss the role that CAP cancer protocols have in diagnosing and treating patients with colorectal cancer. For more information on CAP Cancer Protocols, please visit https://capatholo.gy/2OkNDkZ.

In this CAPcast, New in Practice Committee members Drs. Alan Brown and Jaclyn Rudzinski discuss common financial challenges and issues for fellows and new attendings, including common pathology practice structures as well as the importance of balancing debts and savings. This episode is adapted from a New-in-Practice Committee Roundtable discussion originally recorded on Nov. 12, 2021. For more information on resources from the CAP New-in-Practice Committee, please visit CAP.org: https://www.cap.org/member-resources/new-in-practice.

Few pathologists receive training on laboratory IT issues, or how to manage a new installation. In this CAPcast, John Sinard, MD, FCAP, discusses the educational case he has developed to teach planning tools related to successfully implementing histology tracking software. Dr. Sinard founded the Pathology Informatics Program at the Yale School of Medicine.

This month we’ll look at the Biden administration’s relaunch of its cancer moonshot initiative, addressing social determinants of health, and more. We'll also be speaking with the CAP’s Vice Chair for the Council on Government and Professional Affairs, Dr. Joe Saad. He will provide us with updates surrounding lawsuits and the No Surprises Act.

The topic of workload distribution, whether linked to a pathologist's "productivity" and compensation or simply considered as a part of group dynamics and harmony, is often treated as a taboo subject or completely ignored by the leadership and individual pathologists alike. In this CAPcast, Moira Larsen, MD, MBA, FCAP, and Karim Sirgi, MD, MBA, FCAP, will discuss how to determine workload distribution while navigating the associated group dynamics. Dr. Larsen is currently the Physician Executive Director of MedStar Medical Group Pathology, which is part of MedStar Health, an integrated care delivery network in Washington DC and Maryland. Dr. Sirgi owns and manages Sirgi Consulting LLC, which offers expertise to medical groups in various aspects of practice management and leadership. Drs. Sirgi and Larsen will be leading a course on this topic at the Pathologists Leadership Summit (https://www.pathologistsleadershipsummit.org/), which will be held virtually and in-person in Washington, DC on April 30 through May 3.

Feedback is a key component of learning in any field of medicine and no less so in pathology. Giving feedback can be difficult because there is little training for it and many teachers fear emotional responses from learners. In this CAPcast, Nicole Riddle, MD, FCAP, discusses how to most effectively provide and receive feedback and the importance of SMART goals. Dr. Riddle will be leading a course on this topic at the Pathologists Leadership Summit, which will be held April 30-May 3 in Washington, DC. Learn more & register: https://www.pathologistsleadershipsummit.org/.

In 2022, CMS raised the number of points large practices need to score to avoid a MIPS penalty. Using the measures in the CAP’s registry is now the only way large practices can get enough points to meet the MIPS performance score threshold. Quality Payment Programs are here to stay, and pathologists are going to be continually subjected to evolving value-based payment programs. Eligible pathologists should consider MIPS participation as a strategy to help protect revenues as well as a strategy to demonstrate their value. A low MIPS score may affect your ability to recruit pathologists, promote your practice, or even you—if and when you move jobs and your score follows you.

Trichomoniasis is the most common, non-viral, sexually transmitted infection. Pathologists providing laboratory testing for this infection should understand the advantages and disadvantages of the commercially available, FDA approved/cleared methods, explains Mayo Clinic pathologist Bobbi Pritt, MD, FCAP, in this CAPcast. Dr. Pritt led the development of the Clinical Pathology Improvement Program offerings on this topic (capatholo.gy/3x9XUCy).