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...

Mayo Clinic Researchers Investigate Ways Telomeres Could be Useful in Clinical Laboratory Diagnoses of Diseases Associated with Short Telomere Syndrome

Aug 15, 2018 | Digital Pathology, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

Using precision genomics, Mayo researchers hope to develop improved medical laboratory tools for screening, diagnosing, and treating patients with inherited genetic disorders such as accelerated aging Telomeres increasingly are on the radars of physicians and healthcare consumers alike, as researchers gain more knowledge about these critical nucleotides, and doctors continue to indicate their belief that telomeres could make useful diagnostic tools. If so, that would open up a new channel of...

University of California Davis Researchers Discover Infant Microbiomes Lack B. Infantis in Developed Nations

Aug 13, 2018 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

Without the beneficial bacteria, infants can develop gut dysbiosis, which can lead to severe chronic diseases Another key insight into how the human microbiome performs essential functions has been discovered by a research team at the University of California, Davis (UCD). They have learned that nearly all babies born in developed nations no longer have a specific strain of bacteria called B. infantis, which digests a certain type of sugar found in breast milk. Microbiologists, clinical...

Bloodless Malaria Test Could Signal Major Breakthrough for Early Detection of Diseases Using Light Instead of Traditional Clinical Laboratory Tests

Aug 10, 2018 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

This low-cost, reusable noninvasive light test could serve as a prototype for detecting other biomarkers and diseases in rural and outlying medical laboratories A 24-year-old Ugandan computer scientist whose own malaria was missed by traditional clinical laboratory blood tests has developed a device that detects signs of the disease using a beam of light directed onto a patient’s finger. The light highlights and detects changes in the color, shape, and concentration of red bloods cells...

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...

Could Clinical Laboratories and Pathologists Have a New Use for DNA as a Data Storage Technology?

Aug 6, 2018 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

Researchers in Boston are working to develop DNA as a low-cost, effective way to store data; could lead to new molecular technology industries outside of healthcare Even as new insights about the role of DNA in various human diseases and health conditions continue to tumble out of research labs, a potential new use for DNA is emerging. A research team in Boston is exploring how to use DNA as a low-cost, reliable way to store and retrieve data. This has implications for the nation’s clinical...