Assessment of Turnaround Time (TAT) for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Biopsies: A Single-Institution Experience.

Autor: G P; Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND., Ramalingam K; Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND., Ramani P; Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND., Nallaswamy D; Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Cureus [Cureus] 2024 Jun 19; Vol. 16 (6), pp. e62677. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 19 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.62677
Abstrakt: Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. A delay in the diagnosis of OSCC can have a drastic impact on management and patient outcomes. One of the most crucial elements in oral management is the timely histopathological final diagnosis. Turnaround time (TAT) is regarded as the most important component of the quality performance evaluation. Many labs have struggled to improve their TATs despite advancements in computerization, transport systems, and analytical technologies.  Aim: This study aimed to assess the TAT of OSCC cases, assess the mean TAT period, evaluate any TAT delays, and explore the reasons behind the TAT delays.  Materials and methods: OSCC reports in Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, for one year from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, were retrieved from the Dental Information Archival Software (DIAS), and the mean TAT was noted. Further, the number of cases with delay in TAT was also observed, and the reason for their delay was listed. Descriptive statistics and graphical representation were performed utilizing IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, V. 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). One-way ANOVA was performed with a significance set at a p-value less than 0.05.
Results: 230 OSCC cases were retrieved and included in the TAT evaluation for this study. Among 230 cases, 161 (70%) were incisional and 69 (30%) were excisional biopsies. Only seven (4%) incisional cases and seven (10%) excisional biopsies showed a delay in TAT. The most common reason for the delay in TAT was the requirement for deeper sections and decalcification of bone specimens. Out of 161 incisional cases, only 48 (29%) have undergone excision and further treatment. Twenty-one out of 69 (30%) excisional cases were found to be referral cases from other private institutions. The overall average TAT for 12 months was 3.24 ± 0.41 days for incisional biopsies and 11.88 ± 2.07 days for excisional biopsies. One-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant p-value of less than 0.00001.
Conclusion: Our study sheds light on specific challenges in TAT delay and opportunities for the improvement of TAT. This can result in faster TAT of OSCC reports, further improve patient care, and enable prompt treatment. This study quantified the TAT for OSCC cases and identified critical areas for process improvement. The findings can inform strategies to streamline diagnostic workflows, reduce delays, and ultimately improve the timely delivery of care to patients with OSCC.
Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Human Ethical Committee of Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India issued approval IHEC/SDC/PhD/OPATH-1954/19/TH-001. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
(Copyright © 2024, G et al.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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