Background for the project
NITO BFI Pathology maps how samples move through Norwegian pathology laboratories – from the sample is received to the final response report.
Pathology laboratories play a key role in cancer diagnostics. At the same time, both the sample volume and the complexity of the analyses are increasing. More samples, more blocks, more glasses and more additional analyses mean that the laboratories have to handle more work than before.
The project is based on skin samples with clinical suspicion of malignancy, because this is a common sample material in pathology laboratories. Skin cancer is among the most common forms of cancer in Norway, and melanoma and other skin cancers constitute an important part of cancer diagnostics.
The study examines, among other things:
- How the work is organized
- Where there is waiting, queuing or congestion
- Which factors affect capacity, quality and response time
The survey is not an audit of the laboratories. The goal is to gain a better knowledge base about how the work processes actually work, and how organization, technology, staffing and workflow can be improved. In this way, diagnostics can become more sustainable and better equipped to handle increasing sample volumes.
The project was initiated by NITO Institute of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences and is carried out as part of a master's thesis at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University. The results are planned to be published and made available to the academic community.
Response deadline: 5 July
The survey is answered via electronic links sent by e-mail.