Quality Metrics to Assess Cytopathology Practice Patterns: Focus on Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology

Abstract

Abstract Quality assurance measures in the cytology laboratory help ensure accurate and consistent diagnoses. For thyroid fine-needle aspirations (FNAs), various cytologist performance metrics have been proposed to help monitor and explain cytologist practice patterns. Thoughtful implementation of metrics such as diagnostic category utilization rates, ratios of key diagnostic categories, surgical outcome data, and correlation with ancillary molecular testing results have been proposed to help minimize the use of indeterminate diagnostic categories in thyroid FNAs, such as atypia of undetermined significance. Development of laboratory dashboards coupled with periodic confidential feedback to the cytopathologist or cytotechnologist can help monitor and correct practice patterns that fall outside target norms.