The Pathology Report
The Pathology Report
Podcast Description
The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) is proud to present The Pathology Report – a podcast exploring the latest insights, innovations, and challenges in pathology.
In Season One, recorded live at Pathology Update 2025, we bring you conversations with leading experts in pathology and laboratory medicine. Each episode delves into key areas of the field, highlighting the pivotal role pathology plays in modern healthcare.
Stay tuned for the first episodes, landing soon in your favourite podcast feed.
Find out more at rcpa.edu.au.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on key themes within pathology, including the integration of artificial intelligence in diagnostics, healthcare equity related to big data, and the evolving challenges in laboratory practices. Example episodes explore topics such as AI's impact on overdiagnosis, the balance between automation and clinician workload, and issues of data ownership and patient consent in clinical settings.
The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) is proud to present The Pathology Report – a podcast exploring the latest insights, innovations, and challenges in pathology.
In Season One, recorded live at Pathology Update 2025, we bring you conversations with leading experts in pathology and laboratory medicine. Each episode delves into key areas of the field, highlighting the pivotal role pathology plays in modern healthcare.
Stay tuned for the first episodes, landing soon in your favourite podcast feed.
Find out more at rcpa.edu.au.
In this episode of The Pathology Report, host Dr Ian Gassiep is joined by A/Prof Octavia Peck Palmer, a clinical chemist and director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Dr Niti Dawar, a senior manager in medical and scientific affairs at Roche Diagnostics, and A/Prof Ken Sikaris, head of chemical pathology at Dorevitch Pathology for a focused discussion on the role of pathology in detecting and managing sepsis.
They take a look at the global and national burden of sepsis, highlighting mortality rates and the importance of early detection and go on to discuss how laboratories support early diagnosis through tailored test menus, rapid turnaround times, and actionable results. In examining the strengths and limitations of current biomarkers, such as CRP, procalcitonin, and interleukins, they highlight that the choice of biomarkers and laboratory strategy must be context-specific and adapted to the availability of local resources.
The episode also explores equity and access, considering differences between primary and tertiary care, the expanding role of point-of-care testing, and how AI and data integration may sharpen diagnostic accuracy. Importantly, the panel stresses the need for equitable testing practices, recognising the influence of social determinants of health and cautioning against misinterpreting race in laboratory reference intervals.
The discussion underscores the value of collaboration and clinician education, noting that successful sepsis management depends on close integration of laboratory capabilities, clinical decision making and emerging technologies. Together, our guests call for continued research, wider access to diagnostics and equity-minded practice to improve outcomes for patients worldwide.
RCPA Members
This podcast is an RCPA-endorsed CPD activity. Each episode gives you an opportunity to gain CPD hours in three easy steps:
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Disclaimer
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