Enhancing patient understanding of pathology reports: Insights from a large database of patient inquiries.

Abstract

e13512 Background: The 21st Century Cures Act and the adoption of electronic health records have given patients immediate access to their diagnostic reports via patient portals. However, viewing pathology results before consulting with their physician can cause significant stress as patients struggle to interpret the technical language used in these reports. MyPathologyReport.ca is a website designed to help patients understand and navigate their pathology reports. The site features over 500 diagnostic articles and 400 pathology dictionary definitions. Since its inception, the site has been visited over 10 million times, with cancer-related content being the most popular. One unique feature is “Ask a Pathologist,” where patients can submit questions about their reports. Since 2022, over 6,000 emails have been submitted worldwide, providing valuable insights into common patient concerns. Moreover, a better understanding of these concerns can help us create tools aimed at improving patient literacy. Methods: A study protocol was created to analyze emails submitted to “Ask a Pathologist” on MyPathologyReport.ca. This protocol was reviewed by Patient Champions and Data Analytics committees. We analyzed 680 emails from 06/15/2024 to 01/14/2025, excluding 299 deemed to be irrelevant (spam, duplicates). Using ChatGPT, emails were summarized and sorted into categories: cancer or non-cancer-related, organ system, and treatment or diagnosis questions. Data was analyzed using pivot tables in Excel. Results: Of 381 relevant inquiries: 137 (36%) related to cancer diagnoses 214 (56%) related to non-cancer diagnoses 30 (8%) were not diagnosis-specific For cancer diagnoses, the most involved organ systems were: Breast (19%) GI (12%) Gynecologic (12%) Lymph node (11%) Skin (11%) Soft tissue (6 or 4%) Lung (5 or 4%) Thyroid (3%), Pancreas (2%) Bladder, Kidney, Liver, Brain, Adrenal, and Penis (1% each) 14 (10%) of cancer-related questions were about biomarkers. Most inquiries (78%) were diagnosis-related, with 23% about treatment and 18% about accessing diagnostic information. Conclusions: As pathology reports become more complex and accessible, there is a growing need for high-quality educational resources. MyPathologyReport.ca helps patients understand their reports, and the "Ask a Pathologist" section provides valuable data on common patient questions, aiding in the creation of high-yield content.