A single misspelled name created a duplicate medical record, hiding critical transfusion history and setting the stage for a serious delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction. In this installment of Horror Stories in Pathology Informatics, Alexis Carter, MD, FCAP, and Mandy O'Leary, MD, FCAP, examine how a patient registration error disrupted access to vital blood bank information for a patient with sickle cell disease. They discuss the importance of accurate patient identification, maintaining access to historical laboratory data, strategies for managing duplicate records and system downtime, and the safeguards laboratories use to protect patients from transfusion-related harm. The case highlights how even a seemingly minor data entry mistake can have major clinical consequences and offers practical lessons for laboratorians, informaticists, healthcare leaders, and patients alike.

What does it take to become a trusted expert consultant in pathology?

In this episode, academic pathologist Edward Gutmann, MD, AM, FCAP, sits down with Andrew Rosenberg, MD, FCAP, to reflect on a career spanning approximately 30,000 bone and soft tissue pathology consultations. Together, they discuss the path to expertise, the demands of a consultation practice, and the commitment to patient care that drives Dr. Rosenberg's work.

Chapters

02:50 Choosing a Subspecialty
09:28 Becoming an Expert Consultant
15:30 The Responsibility of Being an Expert
20:18 Communicating with Patients
21:38 The Business Side of Consulting
30:01 Sharing Cases with Colleagues and Intradepartmental Consultations

In this episode of CIPI Connections, members of the CAP Informatics Committee, Alexis Carter, MD, FCAP, and Richard Davis, MD, MPH, BS, FCAP, discuss the mysterious case of a disappearing hypereosinophilic syndrome.

For questions, feedback, or to learn how to submit your own idea, please email informatics@cap.org.