RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES

Reticulocyte haemoglobin content is an automated cell counting parameter that can deliver extra information with clinical utility in the investigation of iron deficiency. Here, Yvonne Hector, Barbara De la Salle and NHS colleagues in Plymouth report on a recent pilot external quality assessment exercise undertaken by UK NEQAS Haematology.

In this first of a series of articles, Stephen MacDonald returns to the topic of assessing measurement uncertainty in the clinical laboratory, and provides an update on the current situation and provides a taster of what will be covered in future articles.

Sheri Scott looks at the growing need for sustainability education for laboratory professionals pre- and postregistration to help the biomedical science profession be greener, and how sustainability can be incorporated into Quality Improvement processes in the laboratory.

Three years on from NHS Wales becoming the first nation within the NHS to recommend DPYD screening to predict a negative response to treatment for all cancer patients prescribed fluoropyrimidine therapy, the All Wales Medical Genomics Service has highlighted some key clinical findings, as well as providing valuable recommendations for institutions or authorities who could benefit from establishing their own service.

Pathology in Practice editor Andy Myall presents a quick wrap up of the 2023 IBMS Congress, including some thoughts on the event and the Institute’s key activities from Chief Executive David Wells.

Signify Research casts an eye into the future of AI in clinical digital pathology following the publication of its most recent market analysis. To have the greatest clinical impact AI vendors must evolve to meet the demands of tomorrow’s customers. But, asks Imogen Fitt, what will this evolution look like?

The recent BOND-PRIME launch by Leica Biosystems introduces technological advancements to help laboratories maintain staining quality with increased workloads. Novel staining technology ensures even tissue coverage, with active fluid control and airgapped exchange to minimise the risk of carryover; while the system incorporates all aspects of Universal Access offering ultimate flexibility.

Over the last few years, we’ve all witnessed the toll that overwhelming caseloads of COVID-19, influenza A/B and RSV testing can have on healthcare settings. The resulting push for more accurate and discriminatory methods to aid the management of patients presenting with respiratory and/or flu-like symptoms has highlighted the importance of developing a test panel that is both efficient and clinically relevant, says Dr Andrew Birnie.

The cost/benefit ratio of digital pathology is particularly hard to quantify – especially with so many variables in play for NHS trusts and laboratory groups. Now, however, Source LDPath has introduced a new Health Economic Model to its offering, which the company says will make the departmental benefits of incorporating a digital pathology workflow crystal clear.

The 2022 Annual Report from the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) scheme has been published recently, once again collecting and analysing anonymised information on serious adverse events and reactions in blood transfusion from all healthcare organisations. Here SHOT Laboratory Incident Specialist Victoria Tuckley summarises its key points and recommendations.

ISO 15189:2022 arrived in November 2022 although its impact is not fully understood with individual organisations looking to conduct a full gap analysis against the ISO 15189:2012 and 22870:2016. Lead biomedical scientist Tony Cambridge looks at what the changes mean for those involved in point-of-care testing.

Kidney function tests on urine and blood are a ubiquitous feature of the workload in clinical chemistry laboratories. Disease often has no symptoms until damage to the kidney is at an advanced stage, hence pathology testing is a vital service. Here, Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation compiles a small selection of recent research interest in nephrology.

Osmolality testing is a powerful screening tool which provides quick and accurate diagnoses for a wide range of disorders. With continuing pressure on laboratories and their staff, a new osmometer with increased automation, ease of use, and workflow flexibility also offers further features to minimise errors and simplify the testing process.

This summer a range of healthcare professionals, sepsis nurses and phlebotomists attended two ‘Saving Time Changes Lives’ events, organised by Becton Dickinson. Taking place during National Pathology Week, this year’s theme ‘Pathologists and Patients’ was highlighted with the topics at the event covering the importance of a quality diagnostic pathway with a risk-based approach to blood cultures, with a comprehensive approach to patient care. Here, Bruce Caldwell reviews the two events.

Advances in technology mean that moving from microscopes to digital alternatives can now be achieved without sacrificing image quality. But this isn’t about the technology. Professor Gina Zini reflects on the key benefits of digital developments, including better quality screening, saved time for morphologists, better clinical collaboration, improved training, and sharing expertise.

In the UK and Europe, too many cases of gastric cancer are still coming to light at a later, less treatable stage. In contrast, high-risk Asian countries have shown real progress in significantly improving outcomes by screening populations for early signs of the disease. Tamara Matysiak-Budnik discusses how we can learn from the progress that has been made in high-incidence countries, and explores a multi-step testing approach.

The repeated replication of a focused segment of genetic material by polymerising nucleotides is just one concept applicable to numerous fields in modern molecular biology and related sciences. Here, Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation compiles a small selection of recent research interest in this rapidly developing field.

Royal Derby Hospital operates robust point-of-care testing as part of its virus management programme, and implementation of year-round respiratory syncytial virus testing last year resulted in the discovery of an unexpected summer surge in cases, as Yusuf Gray explains.

With increasing demands on healthcare technology, choosing a cloud-based solution over on-premises infrastructure allows enhanced security, seamless accessibility as well as extra flexibility in the future. Olivier Goudon outlines the capabilities of cloud architecture for healthcare processes, while also meeting the considerable challenges of GDPR when handling patient data.

Annette Thomas offers a personal reflection on her role in setting up and developing point-of-care testing services in Wales, culminating in the establishment of Wales’s National POCT Strategy earlier this year highlighting the vision for the delivery of services along with the creation of a more formal Strategy Board.