CAP and ADASP update the Interpretive Diagnostic Error Reduction guideline

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Subspecialty Pathology (ADASP) have recently added “two strong recommendations,” along with four “good practice statements” to the Interpretive Diagnostic Error Reduction guideline.

The guideline was last reviewed a decade ago. The expert panel sought to analyze all the new evidence, technologies, and diagnostics methods that have emerged since then. The goal of this action was to ensure diagnoses are precise. The new strong recommendations emphasize structured and timely case review. The good practice statements suggest that labs develop written review procedures, “periodically monitor results, address areas of poor diagnostic agreement, and use established grading criteria when variability is identified.”

The guideline will be reviewed again in five years unless new evidence requires it to be done sooner.

The guideline authors concluded, “In the end, improving diagnostic accuracy is not just about hitting benchmarks; it is about doing right by patients and strengthening trust in the work pathologists do every day.”