ASCP Partners with MyPathologyReport Website to Help Patients Demystify Laboratory Results

Electronic health records have enabled patients to access their diagnostic reports online very quickly, often before their physician has seen them. Yet sometimes, it can be difficult to understand the reports, and so patients turn to the internet to search for more information, some of it unreliable. 

ASCP is partnering with MyPathologyReport.ca, a website that provides explanatory information about diagnostic pathology reports, definitions of frequently used terms, and an Ask a Pathologist feature where patients can go for reliable information to better prepare them for meaningful conversations with their physicians about their pathology reports.  

Jason Wasserman, MD, PhD, FRCPC, an anatomic pathologist at The Ottawa Hospital, in Ontario, Canada, designed and launched MyPathologyReport in 2018 toward the end of his head and neck pathology fellowship at the University of Toronto.   

“MyPathologyReport allows patients to play an active role in their care,” he says. “Since patients in the United States and Canada now have direct access to their reports, it is important that they understand them. If you don’t know what your report says, it is not helpful. Even worse, a patient can misunderstand their report or their diagnosis.”  

The website is divided into a few main themes, including a diagnostic section and a pathology dictionary. The diagnostic section allows an individual to find their diagnosis and learn more about it.  

“A pathology report doesn’t say ‘breast cancer.’ Instead, it would say ‘invasive ductal carcinoma,’” Dr. Wasserman explains. “The patient can click on the word ‘breast’ and look at the list of various breast cancers to match an article on the list to their own pathology report.” 

From there, the patient can learn about typical elements for their particular breast cancer diagnosis and then learn about the nuances, such as a definition of the breast cancer biomarkers that will influence their treatment. The individual can also use the search bar function to type in what they are seeking. If someone is just looking for definitions of words or phrases, the website’s pathology dictionary can provide context for commonly used terms that may appear in their own pathology report. The website also provides links to related articles containing additional information.   

Since its inception, the website has received attention from many patient groups who use it as a resource. For example, ASCP’s Patient Champions program which teaches patients to advocate for their own care, where one of the ASCP Patient Champions was also aware of MyPathologyReport.ca and brought it to the Society’s attention.  

“When ASCP learned of this fantastic website, it was something we had not seen before,” explains ASCP’s Chief Medical Officer Ali Brown, MD, FASCP. “Dr. Wasserman and his team have created a robust set of diagnoses and diagrams and an Ask a Pathologist component which has a direct audience with patients.” 

Once ASCP and MyPathologyReport.ca realized how closely their missions aligned, it was an easy conclusion that forming a partnership would be very beneficial for patients. The educational materials created by MyPathologyReport.ca and ASCP’s Patient Champions program complement one another well in regard to covering both anatomic pathology and clinical laboratory results. Both programs keep patients at the core of their work, with the Ask a Pathologist feature of MyPathologyReport and Patient Champion videos and resources available on the ASCP website. 

ASCP has a significant patient advocacy presence, and its Patient Champions program helps patients learn how to advocate for their needs. With more than 100,000 members, ASCP has a robust reach to communicate to its members about MyPathologyReport.   

“Through MyPathologyReport, Dr. Wasserman has a direct audience with patients,” Dr. Brown notes. “It is amazing what he and his group have accomplished from a grassroots level. He has a passion for helping patients to demystify pathology reports. What appealed to them about ASCP is the Society’s huge reservoir of pathology and laboratory professional members within the United States and around the world to help spread the word about MyPathologyReport.”  

In seven years’ time, the MyPathologyReport site has grown from 100 visitors a day to 30,000 a day. Dr. Wasserman plans to expand the MyPathologyReport website to include a cancer biomarker section that would describe what biomarker testing is, what types of genes laboratories are looking for when they conduct biomarker testing, and what cancers are associated with these genes. Once completed, this section will include a fairly extensive online library of genetic information that is specific to cancer. Othe sections of the website include an FAQ for pathology reports and explanations on how to read pathology reports.  

The takeaway message, according to Dr. Brown, is that MyPathologyReport is a trusted, reliable source of information for patients. “This is a call to action for access to care,” she says. “It’s an invaluable resource to empower patients to be more proactive in their own healthcare. When you have a cholesterol test or a breast cancer report, the results go straight to your patient portal. These reports can sound scary and intimidating. Resources like Patient Champions and MyPathologyReport are tools to help you learn more about your results before you speak with your physician. It encourages shared decision making with your physician.” 

Learn more about MyPathologyReport at https://www.mypathologyreport.ca/