Anatomic Pathology
Anatomic pathology is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the macroscopic, microscopic, biochemical, immunologic and molecular examination of organs and tissues. It is one of two branches of pathology, the other being clinical pathology, the diagnosis of disease through the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids and/or tissues. Often, pathologists practice both anatomical and clinical pathology, a combination known as general pathology.
Anatomic pathology relates to the processing, examination, and diagnosis of surgical specimens by a physician trained in pathological diagnosis. Clinical pathology is the division that processes the test requests more familiar to the general public, such as blood cell counts, coagulation studies, urinalysis, blood glucose level determinations and throat cultures. Its subsections include chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, urinalysis and blood bank.
Anatomical pathology is itself divided in subspecialties, the main ones being surgical pathology (breast, gynecological, endocrine, gastrointestinal, GU, soft tissue, head and neck, dermatopathology), neuropathology, hematopathology, cytopathology, and forensic pathology.
Anatomic pathology is one of the two primary certifications offered by the American Board of Pathology (the other is clinical pathology) and one of three primary certifications offered by the American Osteopathic Board of Pathology. To be certified in anatomic pathology, the trainee must complete four years of medical school followed by three years of residency training. Many U.S. pathologists are certified in both anatomic pathology and clinical pathology, which requires a total of four years of residency. After completing residency, many pathologists enroll in further years of fellowship training to gain expertise in a subspecialty.
Anatomic pathologists usually work in hospitals, investigating the effects of disease on the human body via autopsies and microscopic examination of tissues, cells, and other specimens. Medical laboratory directors are responsible for the sophisticated laboratory tests on samples of tissues or fluids and the quality and accuracy of the tests. The practice of pathology is most often conducted in community hospitals or in academic medical centers, where patient care, diagnostic services, and research go hand in hand.
CMS Expected to Revise Condo Lab & TC/PC Rules
CEO SUMMARY: Expectations are that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will take further action to rein in anatomic pathology arrangements used by physicians to capture revenue from their patient referrals. This may happen as soon as next month, when CMS publishes the 2…
Ruling Against UroPath Signals More Fed Action
CEO SUMMARY: It was a signal win for federal healthcare officials when a federal district court judge in Washington, DC, dismissed a case brought by UroPath, LLC. UroPath had sued HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt seeking to challenge the physician fee schedule final order and the anti-markup…
Federal Judge to Look at CMS Rule-Making in Anti-Markup Case
THERE’S BEEN WIDESPREAD INTEREST across the lab industry to news that on March 31, Uropath, LLC, won a preliminary injunction in its case to prevent the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing an anti-markup regulation for patho…
CMS Spotlights AP as It Delays Anti-Markup Rule
CEO SUMMARY: When Medicare officials postponed implementing a new anti-markup rule late last month, it did so because of questions about how the new rule will be applied. However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did implement an aspect of the anti-markup rule on Jan…
Are Feds Ready to Strike at TC/PC Arrangements?
CEO SUMMARY: Pathologists and laboratory directors will want to pay attention to the proposed rules published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on July 2, 2007. The document is a grab bag of proposals and rules that would significantly curb many common ancillary services a…
Anatomic Pathology’s Coming Revolution: Same Day Diagnoses
CEO SUMMARY: Anatomic pathology has been conducted the same way for 100 years—but no longer at the University of Miami. Pathologists there are using microwave technology to cut processing speed by 90% and improve workflow. By producing faster diagnoses, the lab can report results on 80%…
Mobile Pathology Service Fuels Increased Revenue
CEO SUMMARY: When pathologist Raman Sukumar, M.D. founded a generalist pathology practice in 2003, he was convinced that local doctors would support his vision of pathology at the point of care. That vision was validated by rapid acceptance of his mobile pathology laboratory and a steady …
Urology Revenue Loss Drives AP Lab Condos
CEO SUMMARY: Urologists are motivated to operate anatomic pathology laboratory condominiums as a way to replace lost income after Medicare imposed a major reimbursement cut for a key urology procedure. Capturing revenue from ancillary services is a hot topic within the urology profession….
Barristers Offer Insights Into OIG Opinion 04-17
CEO SUMMARY: This is an intelligence briefing which tries to “read between the lines” and: 1) provide useful information about the OIG’s “undeclared” views on physician self-referral issues, particularly as they relate to anatomic pathology condominiums; and, 2) how specialist p…
Analysis of OIG’s Opinion Shows Compliance Shift
CEO SUMMARY: Attorney Richard Cooper believes the latest Advisory Opinion by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is consistent with its earlier anti-kickback law pronouncements about situations where a physician is in a position to profit from the patients he/she refers. Cooper also…
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Volume XXXII, No. 6 – April 21, 2025
Now that a federal judge has vacated the FDA’s LDT rule, The Dark Report analyzes the judgement and notes the various steps the FDA could take in response. Also, lab testing at pharmacies is proving to be less successful than was once anticipated.
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