Mayo research: Experienced a lost or mishandled pathology specimen?

Have you ever had a healthcare provider call you to tell you they lost, mislabeled, or mishandled your pathology specimen?

Mayo Clinic researchers want to hear from you to learn more about your experiences when your healthcare provider told you about a lost, mislabeled, or mishandled specimen. A pathology specimen is blood, tissue, or organs that are removed during an in-patient or out-patient procedure. This could include (but is not limited to):

• Having your blood drawn
• Having a tissue biopsy to check for cancer
• Delivering a placenta after giving birth to a baby

This research project aims to understand how patients’ communication experiences with their providers about their specimens and the emotional, physical, and economic impact the event had on them.

You can take part in the survey if you:

• are 18 years of age or older,
• located in the United States,
• had an experience in the last 5 years where a healthcare provider communicated with you that your pathology specimen was lost, mislabeled, or mishandled

The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

The survey is online and your answers remain anonymous. Mayo Clinic is committed to respecting and honoring the confidentiality and privacy of everyone who takes part in this research.

Please click this link to take the voluntary survey: https://surveys.mayoclinic.org/jfe/form/SV_87IriMBgulVfPng

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Heather Carmack at Carmack.Heather@mayo.edu.

IRB Study ID: 24-005228