[Histonet] Surgical Volume vs. number of tests

[Patricia Karlisch]

Histonetters:
  First, thank you all for the wonderful responses that you sent
regarding the immunohistochemical staining relative to the volume of
stains done per day.  Your responses were very helpful.  I would like to
pose another question to you.  Do you think there is over utilization
with ordering immunohistochemistries on a daily basis?  Relative to your
surgical cases what would you say that your percentage (or actual
numbers) of immunohistochemical cases  are and how many slides would
that equate to.
  For example:  6-8% of all our cases require immunohistochemistry,
thus as volume increases so do our immuno stains.  We do on average 1400
immuno slides/month which includes surgical, biopsy, bone marrow,
Cytology FNA's and skins with one tech on rotation and two stainers with
a capacity of 40 slides total. (Our yearly surgicals are about 34000
cases). We do very little research in this lab and minimal duplicate
staining for file, study or education.    
  Do any of you employ a method to discourage over utilization of
immuno staining?
  Thank you again for any advice you can give me.
   Pat Karlisch

Pat Karlisch
Supervisor, Histology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Mail Code H179
Hershey, PA 17033
Phone (717) 531-6072
Fax: (717) 531- 7741
email: pkarlisch <@t> psu.edu