One-Stop Diagnosis in Interventional Pathology: A 7-Year Experience With On-Demand Care for Superficial Nodules.
Karen Villar-Zarra, Héctor Enrique Torres-Rivas, Nerea Guerrero-Fretes, María Del Mar Olmo-Fernández, Raúl Castañeda Vozmediano, Santiago Nieto Llanos, Jesús Nieves-Alonso
BACKGROUND: The growing demand for specialised healthcare often results in prolonged waiting times for diagnostic procedures, particularly in oncological pathology. Interventional pathology, wherein pathologists perform sample collection and diagnosis, offers a potential solution through same-day diagnostic services. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to describe the operational framework of a One-Stop interventional pathology consultation and analyse its outcomes, focusing on response times and diagnostic performance for patients with superficial nodules. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital from 2016 to 2023. The consultation involved ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (USFNA) and core needle biopsy (USCNB) performed by an interventional pathologist. Data on procedure adequacy, response times, and diagnostic outcomes were collected and analysed. RESULTS: A total of 877 procedures (718 USFNA, 159 USCNB) were performed. The median time from specialist request to definitive diagnosis was 2 days (interquartile range 1-4), with 18% of patients receiving a diagnosis on the same day. Adequacy rates were 98.6% for USFNA and 100% for USCNB, with low non-diagnostic rates (USFNA: 3.2%; USCNB: 0.6%). Lymph nodes were the most commonly sampled organ, and head-and-neck areas were the predominant anatomical sites. CONCLUSIONS: The One-Stop interventional pathology model significantly reduced diagnostic times and improved patient experience. This efficient, patient-centred approach demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy and low non-diagnostic rates, supporting its viability for broader adoption. Further multicentre studies are needed to validate findings and optimise implementation.
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