Abstract
Background: In recent years, the development of molecular targeted drugs for lung cancer has been remarkable, and drugs are selected according to the gene mutations determined from cancer cells. For this reason, to carry out cancer treatment, cancer cells must be reliably and properly collected, and then accurately assessed by genetic analysis of the presence or absence of gene mutations. There have been requests from pulmonologists to pathological laboratories for rapid on-site cytologic evaluation (ROSE). However, such requests could not be met owing to factors such as insufficient time on the part of the cytotechnologists. Objective: We attempted to introduce ROSE by cytotechnologists during bronchoscopy using Total Quality Management (TQM) activities. Method: We provided the necessary time by improving the work flow in a pathological laboratory. Then, we compared the reduction time of routine work and the spend cytotechnologists’ time of ROSE. Result: The reduction time of routine work significantly surpassed the spend cytotechnologists’ time of ROSE. Conclusion: We achieved our goal, which is to allow cytotechnologists to perform ROSE in all cases during bronchoscopy of suspected lung cancer patients using TQM activities.
