Hong Soon Auck, Jung Haeyoen, Kim Sung Sun, Jin Min-Sun, Pyo Jung-Soo, Jeong Ji Yun, Choi Younghee, Gong Gyungyub, Chong Yosep
Department of Pathology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Department of Pathology, Eone Reference Laboratory, Incheon, Korea.
J Pathol Transl Med. 2022 Nov;56(6):361-369. doi: 10.4132/jptm.2022.09.21. Epub 2022 Oct 27.
The Continuous Quality Improvement program for cytopathology in 2020 was completed during the coronavirus pandemic. In this study, we report the result of the quality improvement program.
Data related to cytopathology practice from each institute were collected and processed at the web-based portal. The proficiency test was conducted using glass slides and whole-slide images (WSIs). Evaluation of the adequacy of gynecology (GYN) slides from each institution and submission of case glass slides and WSIs for the next quality improvement program were performed.
A total of 214 institutions participated in the annual cytopathology survey in 2020. The number of entire cytopathology specimens was 8,220,650, a reduction of 19.0% from the 10,111,755 specimens evaluated in 2019. Notably, the number of respiratory cytopathology specimens, including sputum and bronchial washing/ brushing significantly decreased by 86.9% from 2019, which could be attributed to the global pandemic of coronavirus disease. The ratio of cases with atypical squamous cells to squamous intraepithelial lesions was 4.10. All participating institutions passed the proficiency test and the evaluation of adequacy of GYN slides.
Through the Continuous Quality Improvement program, the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, manifesting with a reduction in the number of cytologic examinations, especially in respiratory-related specimen has been identified. The Continuous Quality Improvement Program of the Korean Society for Cytopathology can serve as the gold standard to evaluate the current status of cytopathology practice in Korea.
2020年细胞病理学持续质量改进计划是在冠状病毒大流行期间完成的。在本研究中，我们报告了质量改进计划的结果。
从各机构收集与细胞病理学实践相关的数据，并在基于网络的门户上进行处理。使用载玻片和全玻片图像（WSIs）进行能力验证测试。对各机构妇科（GYN）玻片的充分性进行评估，并提交病例载玻片和WSIs用于下一次质量改进计划。
共有214个机构参与了2020年的年度细胞病理学调查。细胞病理学标本总数为8,220,650例，比2019年评估的10,111,755例标本减少了19.0%。值得注意的是，包括痰液和支气管冲洗/刷检在内的呼吸道细胞病理学标本数量较2019年显著下降了86.9%，这可能归因于冠状病毒病的全球大流行。非典型鳞状细胞与鳞状上皮内病变病例的比例为4.10。所有参与机构均通过了能力验证测试和GYN玻片充分性评估。
通过细胞病理学持续质量改进计划，已确定2019冠状病毒病大流行的影响，表现为细胞学检查数量减少，尤其是与呼吸道相关的标本。韩国细胞病理学会的细胞病理学持续质量改进计划可作为评估韩国细胞病理学实践现状的金标准。
