The Third Reader

If the pathology report is our work, then making sure the patient can understand what we have said is part of our work as well

Category	Detail
Condition	Pathology Reporting and Patient Communication
Key Mechanisms	Impact of health literacy and AI on understanding pathology reports
Target Population	Patients receiving cancer diagnoses
Care Setting	Clinical pathology and oncology

39% of patients understood standard pathology reports correctly compared to 93% for patient-centered versions.
Patients increasingly access their reports before discussing with clinicians, leading to misunderstandings.
AI tools are being used by patients to interpret complex medical information.
Simplified reports improved comprehension significantly but still contained errors.
Organizations are developing AI solutions to aid in patient understanding of medical reports.

Patients should receive their cancer diagnosis from a clinician whenever possible.

Incorporate AI tools into clinician workflows to provide plain-language interpretations of reports.

Monitor patient understanding and satisfaction with report communication methods.

Patients may misinterpret information from AI tools without clinician oversight.

Individuals diagnosed with cancer accessing pathology reports

Patients prefer clinician communication but value direct access to their medical information.

Ensure pathology reports are understandable to patients.
Utilize AI to enhance readability while maintaining clinician oversight.
Provide training for clinicians on effective communication of complex medical information.