title: Assessment of completion of forms requesting skin biopsies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Information contained in request forms for histopathological examinations is essential for interpreting tissue changes observed in microscopy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the adequacy of information provided on forms requesting skin biopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assessment, in two health institutions, of 647 forms requesting skin biopsies in order to determine the completeness on the forms of the clinical details/items considered necessary for undertaking skin biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total 18 items on the forms, 7 were found to relay complete information in under 10% of the forms and only 9 items were correctly completed in over 80% of the requests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that information on many of the essential items required for a correct interpretation of the anatomopathologic examination was missing from the request forms.
authors.affiliation: Air Force Hospital, Manaus, AM, Brazil. apmschettini@gmail.com
authors.forename: Daniel Almeida
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schettini
authors.forename: Antonio Pedro Mendes
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Schettini
authors.forename: José Carlos Gomes
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sardinha
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos de Lima
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Felicien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vasques
authors.forename: Luena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xerez
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001938:Brazil; D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005568:Forms and Records Control / Q000592:standards*; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*