Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Delivering Health Care - Part 2
Lecture:Laboratory, Pathology, Radiology, and Ancillary Services
Slide content:Laboratory Pathology - 1 Anatomical Pathology Histopathology: Study of whole tissues Cytopathology: At the cellular level Electron microscopic pathology Surgical Pathology Chemical pathology (clinical chemistry) General chemistry Endocrinology Immunology Toxicology 4
Slide notes:Many of the tests performed by labs fall within the realm of pathology. One subset of pathology is anatomical pathology, which is composed of several types. Histopathology is the study of whole tissues, whereby the specimen is collected by biopsy, prepared in various ways, and examined under the microscope. Cytopathology is the study of tissues at the cellular level, for example, a pap smear. Electron microscopic pathology uses advanced technology to generate highly magnified images of tissues to help identify and diagnose diseases. Another subset of pathology is surgical pathology, which involves the gross and microscopic examination of surgical specimens as well as biopsies. Yet another field is chemical pathology, or clinical chemistry, which is the analysis of body fluids. This field includes tests of general chemistry, such as electrolytes or liver function tests; tests of endocrinology such as the hemoglobin A1C test, which is a blood test used to diagnose and manage diabetes; and tests of immunology or tests of toxicology. 4