A longtime proponent of reducing tests and improving patient care, Gary W. Procop, MD, MS, FASCP, is an expert panelist for the ASCP 2013 Chicago general session on the Choosing Wisely campaign. He shares his perspectives on how laboratories can lead their organizations in promoting appropriate test utilization. As Chair of Molecular Pathology at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Procop led the Clinic’s highly successful review process of duplicative testing, which has become a model for the health systems across the country. Read more

A mobile app is now available so that medical laboratory students can download questions from the fifth edition ASCP BOC Study Guide on their iPhone or Android phones. “The mobile phone goes everywhere with our students and is used as a versatile communication device,” says Kathleen “Kay” Doyle, PhD, MLS(ASCP)^CM, who served for many years on the ASCP BOC Board of Governors.   Read more

Ka Pou “Emily” Iong, MLS(ASCP)^CM, was in a freshman biology class at De Anza College, Cupertino, Calif., when she conducted an experiment to amplify her DNA during a polymerase chain reaction. Read more

Too often convenience overrides common sense in health care. Clinicians may order a laboratory test instead of performing a complete patient history and a physical examination. However, many times it is preferable for clinicians to actually gather the “non-test information up front,” says Lee Hilborne, MD, MPH, FASCP, DLM(ASCP)^CM, who will moderate a general session at the ASCP 2013 Annual Meeting, Sept. 18–20, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Read more