title: Health Technology Assessment: introducing a vacuum-based preservation system for biological materials in the anatomic pathology workflow.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this work is to assess the implementation of a newly introduced medical equipment technology for the vacuum-based preservation of biological materials within an Anatomic Pathology service.
  
  
  METHODS
  The approach selected for the analysis is the Health Technology Assessment (HTA ), a comprehensive evaluation method based on relevant scientific evidence and designed to support healthcare decision makers in purchasing, replacing or disposing of technologies. The analysis focused on specific domains such as Technology, Organization, Safety and Economy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study proves that the use of such technology ensures the biological specimen to be suitably preserved (up to 72 hours), both reducing the amount of fixative being employed in the diagnostic process (30% to 55%) and resulting, in the particular context under examination, in savings of 93%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HTA reported no significant drawbacks related to the use of the technology being examined. Nonetheless, the workflow for managing the transfer of biological materials from the Operating Room to the Anatomic Pathology department needs to be redefined - in terms of handling, processing, storage and disposal. Other elements concerned the monitoring of storage temperature, fresh tissue handling and especially fixative amount reduction, which positively impacts on the operators' safety with regard to chemical hazards.
authors.affiliation: Elettronica Bio Medicale Srl.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saliceti
authors.affiliation: University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nicodemo
authors.affiliation: Anatomy and Pathological Histology Department, "Nuovo Ospedale di Prato", ASL 4 Prato, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.affiliation: University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortese
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005404:Fixatives / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D010336:Pathology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D013997:Time Factors; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014618:Vacuum; D057188:Workflow
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives
keywords: Fixatives; Health Technology Assessment; Histopathology; Tissue specimens; Under-vacuum sealing