Associate Professor of Pathology Diana Cardona, MD, MBA, was interviewed for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) CAPcast podcast episode that aired on July 15th, 2024, titled “Pathology Reports: Can One Size Fit All Stakeholders?” CAP Content Strategist Lisa Tomcko led the interview with Cardona and Harry Hwang, MD, Harry Hwang, MD, a molecular pathologist who is chief medical officer and medical director at PhenoPath Laboratories in Seattle, Washington. They explored how pathologists engage with patients through pathology reports.
“The Institute of Medicine, as part of their effort to reduce diagnostic errors, is focusing more on this kind of patient-centered care,” said Cardona. “They've demonstrated that the more readily patients can engage meaningfully with their care plans, and their care teams, the more opportunity there is for reducing errors. And I think that now that patients have access to our pathology reports, that offers us an opportunity to ensure they understand what's happening. Understanding their diagnosis means that they can more effectively participate in the care decisions that they need to make."
Cardona is a governor on the CAP'S Board of Governors, an advisor to the committee that oversees the CAP's clinical data registry. She's also the principal investigator for the CAP's two-phase Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) grant, which aims to improve our understanding of the patient experience with their pathology report.