US and UK Researchers Simultaneously Develop New Tests to Detect Prostate Cancer

Though still in trials, early results show tests may be more accurate than traditional clinical laboratory tests for detecting prostate cancer Within weeks of each other, different research teams in the US and UK published findings of their respective efforts to develop a better, more accurate clinical laboratory prostate cancer test. With cancer being a leading cause of death among men—second only to heart disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—new...

International Team of Scientists Develop Smart Diaper That Alerts Parents When It Is Soiled and Needs to Be Changed

Not the first smart diaper to come along, but consumers seem unready for diapers that can flag urinary tract infections and other biomarkers usually tested by clinical laboratories Will wonders never cease? For centuries, parents had only their own senses to determine when infants needed diaper changing. Today, however, caregivers can rely on “smart diapers” to send alerts when a diaper is soiled. Crying, smelly babies may no longer be the gold standard in diaper management. But are smart...

University of Washington Researchers Use Genomic Analysis to Track Shigella Infections as Decreased Cost of Gene Sequencing Aids Public Health Research

Another study in the United Kingdom that also used genomic analysis to understand drug-resistant Shigella produced findings that may be useful for microbiologists and medical laboratory scientists From the onset of an infectious disease outbreak, public health officials, microbiologists, and clinical laboratory managers find it valuable to trace the origin of the spread back to the “index case” or “patient zero”—the first documented patient in the disease epidemic. Given the decreased cost of...

With New Daily Monkeypox Cases Now in Single Digits, Can We Declare the Mission Accomplished?

Coordinating at-home testing for monkeypox may provide opportunities for clinical laboratories to add value for their physician clients Microbiologists and clinical laboratory managers who oversee medical laboratory tests for monkeypox (aka, mpox) will be interested to learn that, according to the US Centers of Disease Control (CDC), cases per day have dropped into the single digits. The United States led the world in cases during the 2022-2023 outbreak, according to the most recent CDC...

Australia’s NSW Health Chooses Epic for its Statewide Patient EHR

Five clinical laboratory information systems are part of the transition that will create a single statewide EMR for all New South Wales patients In a massive project, Australia’s New South Wales Ministry of Health (NSW Health) has selected health information system developer Epic to unify its five pathology laboratory information management systems (LIMS), nine electronic medical record systems (EMR), and six patient administration systems (PAS) into a statewide single digital patient record...

Recent Separate Business Transactions by Fujifilm and GE Healthcare Suggest Bullish Outlook for Faster Adoption of Digital Pathology

Fujifilm acquired Inspirata’s Dynamyx digital pathology technology and business while GE Healthcare announced a partnership with Tribun Health in Europe Clinical pathology laboratories, especially in the US, have been slow to adopt digital imaging systems. But recent industry deals suggest that the market may soon heat up, at least in the eyes of vendors. These collaborators may hope that, by integrating diagnostic data, the accuracy and productivity of anatomic pathologists will improve while...
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