Pathologists have not traditionally discussed cases directly with patients, nor have pathologists traditionally sat with patients and examined the patients' cases. But in today’s molecular era there is a growing need for pathologists to directly discuss with patients their diseases.

In this CAPcast, Dr. Timothy Allen will discuss the real-time anatomic pathology diagnostic management team conference, a new concept in which the pathologist joins clinical and radiologic colleagues in real time, using HIPAA-compliant Skype technology, to discuss with a patient (and possibly also the patient's family) the patient's disease process including diagnosis, current treatment, and future management. Dr. Allen will be teaming with Dr. Harpreet Talwar to teach a course on this topic at CAP18, which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago. To register for CAP18, please visit www.capannualmeeting.org.

New laboratory directors are rarely prepared for regulatory and accreditation issues that face them. Even very seasoned pathologists and laboratory directors struggle to keep up with new regulatory requirements that pose high risk. In this CAPcast, Dr. Christina M. Wojewoda, a pathologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, discusses these issues and shares her perspective on what new medical directors need to know about regulatory, accreditation, and compliance issues. Dr. Wojewoda is teaching a course on this topic at CAP18, which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago. To register for CAP18, please visit www.capannualmeeting.org.

Social media is an important education tool for pathologists. Communicating through social media channels like Twitter and Facebook can help pathologists educate patients about diagnostic medicine. But pathologists can also learn from each other via social media, according to pathologist Dr. Kamran Mirza. Dr. Mirza is an assistant professor in the departments of pathology & laboratory medicine and medical education and serves as medical director of molecular pathology at Loyola University Health System in Chicago, as well as a graduate of the CAP’s Engaged Leadership Academy (https://capatholo.gy/2N8sTaQ). In this CAPcast, he discusses how pathologists can best leverage social media as an education tool—both to teach others as well as learn from others.

In the laboratory setting, feedback (or the lack thereof) extends beyond self-improvement and ultimately impacts patient care. In this CAPcast, Duke Health pathologist Dr. Sara Jiang discusses how to give and receive feedback effectively. Dr. Jiang and her Duke Pathology colleague Dr. Sarah Bean will once again teach their popular course, “Can You Hear Me Now?: Giving and Receiving Feedback Effectively” at CAP18 in October. More information on CAP18 can we found online at capannualmeeting.org.

Both networking and publishing are important for academic pathologists to succeed, according to Dr. Roseann Wu, a staff pathologist and assistant professor of clinical pathology & laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. In this CAPcast, Dr. Wu discusses why networking and publishing are so vital and how membership in the CAP can benefit academic pathologists. Dr. Wu’s recently wrote a blog on the issue, "CAP Membership for the Academic Pathologist," now posted on CAP.org: https://capatholo.gy/2AqanZA.

Effective laboratory management not only benefits the staff, but improves patient safety and patient care. However, many laboratory directors grapple with serious issues related to budget constraints as well as responding effectively to demanding clinician colleagues, according to Dr. Paul Bachner, a professor and immediate past chairman of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Bachner will be teaching a course on this topic at CAP18, which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago: www.capannualmeeting.org.

Discussing the subject of an autopsy can be a very difficult process for both the bereaved family member being asked and for the health care professional making the request. In this CAPcast, Dr. Harold Sanchez, a member of the CAP's Autopsy Committee, and Dr. Tom Smith, an oncologist and the Director of Palliative Care at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, discuss the consent process for the performance of a hospital autopsy as well as advice on how to best navigate the process with family members.

In this CAPcast, Dr. Diana Cardona discusses what pathologists need to know about the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, also known as MACRA. Dr. Cardona, the Medical Director of the Surgical Pathology and Immunopathology Laboratories at Duke University Medical Center, is teaching a course on this topic with Dr. Stephen Black-Schaffer at CAP18 in Chicago, which will be held Oct. 20-24: www.capannualmeeting.org.

Many pathologists struggle with diagnostic questions surrounding cervical adenocarcinoma. In this CAPcast, Drs. Christina Kong and Teri Longacre, both pathologists with Stanford Healthcare in California, discuss the diagnostic challenges related to cervical adenocarcinoma, criteria for distinguishing reactive changes, as well as explaining the Silva classification system and how it applies to invasive adenocarcinomas. Drs. Kong and Longacre will be teaching a course on this topic at CAP18 which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago: capannualmeeting.org.

This year’s CAP annual meeting features 25 new courses, creating a diverse portfolio of programs central to every pathologist’s daily practice.

In this CAPcast, Duke University pathologist Dr. Sarah Bean discusses how attending CAP18, held in Chicago, Oct. 20-24, can benefit pathologists. Dr. Bean is the Chair of the CAP Curriculum Committee.

For more information on CAP18, visit http://www.capannualmeeting.org.