Table 1.
Demographic and clinical experience of pathologists by second opinion during the independent assessment of breast biopsy cases (N = 115 participants, 6900 independent assessments)
| Would you ask for a second pathologist’s opinion of this case before finalising the report? (Assume a pathologist is available) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||
| Combined yes responses rate (95% CI) |
Response options N (%) |
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|
|
|
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| Pathologist characteristics * |
Number of pathologists |
Number of independent assessments |
Rate of second opinion † |
p Value ‡ |
Yes, because I would want a second pathologist’s opinion for diagnostic reasons |
Yes, because it is our policy to get a second opinion in cases with this diagnosis |
Yes to both because I would want it and because it is our policy |
No, I do not want a second opinion |
| Total | 115 | 6900 | 70 (65 to 75) | − | 1731 (25) | 2376 (34) | 720 (10) | 2073 (30) |
| Demographics | ||||||||
| Age at survey (years) | ||||||||
| 33–39 | 16 | 960 | 77 (65 to 89) | 0.69 | 164 (17) | 381 (40) | 195 (20) | 220 (23) |
| 40–49 | 41 | 2460 | 68 (59 to 76) | 589 (24) | 916 (37) | 165 (7) | 790 (32) | |
| 50–59 | 42 | 2520 | 69 (61 to 77) | 775 (31) | 704 (28) | 260 (10) | 781 (31) | |
| 60+ | 16 | 960 | 71 (57 to 85) | 203 (21) | 375 (39) | 100 (10) | 282 (29) | |
| Gender | ||||||||
| Female | 46 | 2760 | 74 (67 to 81) | 0.19 | 812 (29) | 951 (34) | 273 (10) | 724 (26) |
| Male | 69 | 4140 | 67 (61 to 74) | 919 (22) | 1425 (34) | 447 (11) | 1349 (33) | |
| Clinical practice and breast pathology expertise | ||||||||
| Have you received fellowship training in breast pathology? | ||||||||
| No | 109 | 6540 | 71 (66 to 75) | 0.36 | 1696 (26) | 2256 (34) | 665 (10) | 1923 (29) |
| Yes | 6 | 360 | 58 (31 to 86) | 35 (10) | 120 (33) | 55 (15) | 150 (42) | |
| Affiliation with academic medical centre | ||||||||
| No | 87 | 5220 | 73 (68 to 78) | 0.021 | 1324 (25) | 1895 (36) | 602 (12) | 1399 (27) |
| Yes | 28 | 1680 | 60 (49 to 70) | 407 (24) | 481 (29) | 118 (7) | 674 (40) | |
| Do your colleagues consider you an expert in breast pathology? | ||||||||
| No | 90 | 5400 | 74 (69 to 79) | 0.003 | 1411 (26) | 1916 (35) | 665 (12) | 1408 (26) |
| Yes | 25 | 1500 | 56 (44 to 67) | 320 (21) | 460 (31) | 55 (4) | 665 (44) | |
| How many years have you been interpreting breast pathology cases (not including residency/fellowship training)? | ||||||||
| <5 | 22 | 1320 | 75 (65 to 85) | 0.47 | 252 (19) | 548 (42) | 193 (15) | 327 (25) |
| 5–9 | 23 | 1380 | 74 (65 to 82) | 363 (26) | 480 (35) | 176 (13) | 361 (26) | |
| 10–19 | 34 | 2040 | 65 (55 to 76) | 488 (24) | 661 (32) | 187 (9) | 704 (35) | |
| ≥20 | 36 | 2160 | 68 (60 to 77) | 628 (29) | 687 (32) | 164 (8) | 681 (32) | |
| What percentage of your caseload includes interpreting breast specimens? | ||||||||
| <10% | 59 | 3540 | 70 (63 to 77) | 0.34 | 953 (27) | 1093 (31) | 434 (12) | 1060 (30) |
| 10–24% | 45 | 2700 | 73 (66 to 79) | 683 (25) | 1000 (37) | 283 (10) | 734 (27) | |
| ≥25% | 11 | 660 | 58 (37 to 78) | 95 (14) | 283 (43) | 3 (0) | 279 (42) | |
| Estimate the number of breast cases you interpret during an average week | ||||||||
| <5 | 31 | 1860 | 71 (62 to 80) | 0.58 | 579 (31) | 494 (27) | 253 (14) | 534 (29) |
| 5–9 | 44 | 2640 | 72 (64 to 79) | 645 (24) | 935 (35) | 314 (12) | 746 (28) | |
| 10–19 | 31 | 1860 | 71 (62 to 79) | 463 (25) | 716 (38) | 134 (7) | 547 (29) | |
| ≥20 | 9 | 540 | 54 (30 to 79) | 44 (8) | 231 (43) | 19 (4) | 246 (46) | |
Row percentages might not add up to 100 due to rounding.
*
By self-report on baseline survey.
†
Binary variable created from all three affirmative responses where 1=yes, 0=no. LS means and CIs estimated on logit scale and back transformed on the scale of the mean using the inverse link function.
‡
Probability >χ2, Wald statistics for type 3 GEE analysis.
GEE, generalised estimating equation;
LS, least square.