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. 2019;17(1):64-70.
doi: 10.1089/bio.2018.0100. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Changing the Culture of Tumor Tissue Biobanking in a Tertiary Referral Hospital Using an Audit and Feedback Strategy

Simon King  1   2 , Marjorie Walker  1   2   3 , Sarah Neilsen  2 , Michelle O'Brien  1
Affiliations

Changing the Culture of Tumor Tissue Biobanking in a Tertiary Referral Hospital Using an Audit and Feedback Strategy

Simon King et al. Biopreserv Biobank. 2019.

Abstract

We examined whether the introduction of an audit and feedback strategy applied to specimens dissected at the John Hunter Hospital anatomical pathology department improved the number of formalin fixed tumor specimens sampled by anatomical pathology registrars for the Hunter Cancer Biobank. During the audit period (1/7/16 to 30/6/17) a total of 949 tumor specimens were sampled for the biobank compared with 393 of the previous year (1/7/15 to 30/6/16) resulting in a 141% increase in specimens biobanked. A targeted group of previously underrepresented specimen types, including brain, lung, and lymph node tumors were studied in depth to establish which specimens were sampled and which potentially biobankable specimens were "missed". In this targeted group there was a 285% increase in the number of specimens biobanked and a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in tumor sampling in all three specimen types over the audit period compared with the previous year. In conclusion, the introduction of an audit and feedback strategy improved tumor tissue collection for biobanking. A potential drawback of email feedback is that overfixation may occur due to administrative time lag and these specimens must be documented accordingly because some tests are dependent on an optimal fixation time. Taking extra blocks for biobanking on all potential tumor specimens with excess tumor tissue at the time of cut-up can alleviate this problem.

Keywords: biobanking; formalin; human.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflicting financial interests exist.

Figures

<b>FIG. 1.</b>
FIG. 1.
Flowchart illustrating the process of specimen handling and tissue biobanking within the anatomical pathology department.
<b>FIG. 2.</b>
FIG. 2.
Flowchart illustrating the audit and feedback process as applied to human tissue biobanking in a public hospital together with the time taken for each stage.
<b>FIG. 3.</b>
FIG. 3.
Tumor specimens sampled for the Hunter Cancer Biobank by the anatomical pathology department at the John Hunter Hospital over a 5-year period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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