Quality Practices of Anatomic Pathology Labs in Vietnam

Abstract

![Graphic][1] Vietnam's economic growth has rapidly increased over the past couple of decades. Thanks to positive changes in international diplomatic relations, medicine in general has benefited from meaningful foreign aid, investment, and cooperation. Along with that, education and self-awareness about health and diseases are expanding in the larger population, which is a promising sign. In Vietnam, however, pathology has remained a mysterious medical field, due to inadequate recognition and support. In 2014, we conducted an inspection trip to 16 anatomic pathology labs from northern to southern Vietnam to investigate the current state of the quality practices, and identify the key issues and opportunities for possible solutions. First, in Vietnam, the entire field of pathology is represented by anatomic pathology, with clinical pathology as a subdivision. Laboratory services, including chemistry, microbiology, hematology, cytogenetics, blood banking, and transfusion, are managed by different departments, which often means that the vocabulary of quality practice is unfamiliar to Vietnamese pathologists. In 2014,1 the number of physicians per 10,000 was 7.8, with approximately one pathologist for every 179,000 persons, compared to one for every 19,232 persons in the United States.2 Ha Noi (in the north) and Ho Chi Minh City (in the south) are the only cities that have large teaching hospitals, with six to 10 pathologists in house. These hospitals also serve as referral centers, as patients often bypass provincial hospitals in order to go to the city for care. The remaining centers may have from one to three pathologists; usually there are none in primary hospitals. ![Graphic][2] ![Graphic][3] This paucity of pathologists mainly comes from under-appreciation of the profession.4 The critical value of pathology in patient care3 is not publicly recognized. The interaction between physicians and pathologists is minimal. For example, one hospital installed a new cryostat for intraoperative frozen section but only … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [3]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif