Stanford University Researchers Finds Physician Burnout as Big a Threat to Patient Safety as Unsafe Hospital Conditions; Exhausted Providers Twice as Likely to Make Medical Errors

Aug 17, 2018 | Digital Pathology, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Pathologists might be able to help overburdened doctors by adding medical laboratory support services that assist providers in selecting the right tests and identifying the best therapeutic options for patients In a new Stanford University School of Medicine study published in the July 9, 2018, issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers indicate that physician burnout may be as big a cause of medical errors as unsafe healthcare environments. This highlights an opportunity for clinical...

Latest Push by CMS for Increased Price Transparency Highlights Opportunities and Risks for Clinical Laboratories, Pathology Groups

Aug 8, 2018 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

As federal regulatory agencies continue to push transparency, hospitals, medical labs, anatomic pathology groups, and other healthcare providers must develop strategies for remaining competitive and maintaining patient volume More price transparency continues to be a goal of Medicare officials. Some clinical laboratory managers and pathologists may be unaware of a proposed rule issued by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in April that would require hospitals to post...

Online Negative Reviews Can Threaten Clinical Laboratories Not Prepared to Address Feedback or Manage Their Internet Presence

Aug 3, 2018 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

As consumers increasingly choose physicians and service providers based on other people’s feedback on review websites, Internet-based customer service programs are becoming critical business tools for clinical laboratories and pathology groups Clinical laboratory managers are becoming increasingly aware that negative reviews on anonymous online review sites, such as Yelp and others, can negatively impact revenues. Official sources and surveys, such as Medicare’s Hospital Consumer Assessment of...

Penn State University College of Medicine Pilot Study Finds MicroRNA in Saliva Can Be Used in Diagnosis and Treatment of Concussions in Children

Aug 1, 2018 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Identifying patients who will likely develop prolonged concussion symptoms could lead to new clinical laboratory tests and personalized medicine treatments Researchers are homing in on a new diagnostic assay for concussion that could potentially generate significant numbers of test referrals to the nation’s clinical laboratories. This innovative work is targeting how concussions are diagnosed and treated. Each year, thousands of children receive sports-related injuries, including concussions....

Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services Leaders Sentenced to Prison in $100-Million Lab Test Kickback Scheme That Also Led to Convictions of 38 Physicians

Jul 30, 2018 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

DOJ says now-defunct clinical laboratory in New Jersey generated test orders by bribing physicians with cash, concert tickets, vacations, high-end automobiles, and prostitutes  It finally happened! Two medical laboratory executives were given jail sentences for their role in the rampant fraud and abuse committed during the operation of Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services (BLS) of Parsippany, N.J. The court accepted their guilty pleas in 2015, but delayed sentencing until this year, because the...

Tufts University School of Engineering Researchers Have Developed Tooth-mounted Sensors That Monitor Glucose, Salt, and Alcohol in Foods as They Enter the Body

Jul 27, 2018 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations, News From Dark Daily

Tuft’s proof-of-concept demonstration study shows how changes in saliva can be employed as biomarkers for development of future diagnostic monitoring devices and applications For years, pathologists and dentists have recognized that the mouth contains many useful biomarkers for a wide range of health conditions and diseases. Now a study by a research team at Tufts University School of Engineering (Tufts) has demonstrated that a tooth-mounted sensor can reliably measure certain target markers....