To accommodate the need for pathologists to interact with laboratory information and other patient data, three professional associations have partnered to launch a clinical informatics educational program.

The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC) and the Association for Pathology Informatics launched Pathology Informatics Essentials for Residents (PIER), which presents informatics topics identified by leading experts in the field and offers key training elements for residency program directors and faculty to implement informatics training, according to a release.

“Training pathology residents in clinical informatics is ‘a must’ to build the skills required now and in the future,” said APC President-Elect Donald S. Karcher, MD. “We designed PIER with the residency programs in mind and have created a flexible curriculum, which can be integrated throughout residency training.”

“Information management will continue to play a crucial role in pathology,” said Walter Henricks, MD, medical director of Pathology Informatics at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and co-leader of the PIER working group. “By developing PIER, we are empowering pathologists in clinical informatics with the knowledge and skill sets necessary to meet the demands of the current and future healthcare environment.”

Learn more about PIER.