Implementation

The compliance matrix describes the significant stages of development for laboratories to transit in order to achieve highest-level 'atomic' structured reporting.

StructuredPathologyReportingCompliance

The National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council (NPAAC) require anatomical pathology laboratories in Australia to implement to level 3 structured reporting. This is a standard in the NPAAC 5th edition Requirements for Information Communication and Reporting.

The Levels of Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer infographic outlines the basic features of each level of structured reporting, including the features of level 3, to achieve NPAAC compliance.

Levels of SPRC - infographic 2022 - image

Please refer to the following for further helpful information:

• RCPA Position Statement on Implementation of SPRC
• NPAAC requirement for SPRC - FAQs
• Protocol Appendix - Implementation of SPRC for routine histopathology reporting
• Level 3 SPRC implementation guide

The above documents were reviewed by the Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer Steering Committee, Cancer Services Advisory Committee (CanSAC), Anatomical Pathology Advisory Committee (APAC), Board of Professional Practice and Quality (BPPQ) and approved by the RCPA Board.

Some laboratories in Australasia are operating with dated Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), particularly so in the area of anatomical pathology, where functionality is often based upon reports using variations of word processing software. This presents an issue for laboratories implementing Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer.

To assist in bridging this gap, a functional requirements document has been drawn up which describes the functionality necessary for LIS to support structured pathology reporting. In addition, a universal design principles document has also been drawn up to provide a set of principles regarding the design of any pathology system.

These documents have been presented to Laboratory system vendors and other interested parties at meetings on 15th March, 3rd and 11th May 2011. The documents have been reviewed and endorsed by the Cancer Services Advisory Committee (CanSAC) and the RCPA Council.

SPR LIS Functional Requirements (v2.0)

This document contains:

Section 1: General concepts, foundational to an understanding of the functional requirements, and

Section 2: Functional Requirements - both mandatory and recommended functionality necessary for a LIS to support structured pathology reporting.

Universal Design Principles (v2.0)