Clinical Laboratory Test for Alzheimer’s Disease Gets Ever Closer to Reality

Aug 23, 2019 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

Scientists worldwide engaged in research to develop a biomarker for dementia are predicting success, though some say additional research will be needed Could a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease soon be on clinical laboratory test menus nationwide? Perhaps so. A recent Associated Press (AP) article that was picked up by NBC News and other healthcare publications reported that experimental test results presented during the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in July suggest...

Clinical Laboratories and Hospitals Test New Technology That Can Help Reduce Unacceptable Rates of Contaminated Blood Culture Specimens

Aug 19, 2019 | Clinical Laboratory/Pathology Management Consultants, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

Especially for busy hospital emergency departments, avoiding blood culture contamination is a constant challenge for those tasked with collecting blood culture specimens Better, faster diagnosis and treatment of sepsis continues to be a major goal at hospitals, health networks, and other medical facilities throughout the United States. Yet microbiologists and clinical laboratory managers continue to be frustrated with how frequently contaminated blood culture specimens show up in the...

Humana’s New Oncology Value-based Care Program Includes Quality and Cost Measurements of Provider Performance, Clinical Laboratories, and Pathology Groups

Jul 31, 2019 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

“Pathologists and medical laboratories may have to demonstrate efficiency and effectiveness to stay in the insurer’s networks and get paid for their services In recent years, Medicare officials have regularly introduced new care models that include quality metrics for providers involved in a patient’s treatment. Now comes news that a national health insurer is launching an innovative cancer-care model that includes quality metrics for medical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups...

Regenstrief Institute Finds Fecal Immunochemical Test May Be as Effective as Colonoscopy at Detecting Colorectal Cancers

Jul 29, 2019 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Doctors may begin ordering FITs in greater numbers, increasing the demand on clinical laboratories to process these home tests All clinical laboratory managers and pathologists know that timely screening for colon cancer is an effective way to detect cancer early, when it is easiest to treat. But, invasive diagnostic approaches such as colonoscopies are not popular with consumers. Now comes news of a large-scale study that indicates the non-invasive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) can be as...

How One Company’s Saliva Spit Tubes Dominate the DNA Collection Device Market by Maintaining Specimen Integrity for as Long as Two Years

Jul 26, 2019 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

From point-of-care diagnostic tests to ancestral DNA home-testing, this company’s spit tubes are used by more medical laboratories than any other brand Most clinical laboratory specialists know that OraSure Technologies of Bethlehem, Pa., was the first company to develop a rapid point-of-care DNA diagnostic test for HIV back in the 1990s. This was a big deal. It meant physicians could test patients during office visits and receive the results while the patients were still in the office. Since...

Skeptical Missouri Pathologist Played a Key Role in Wall Street Journal Reporter John Carreyrou’s Expose´ Of Medical Lab Test Company Theranos

Jul 15, 2019 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Fawning media coverage Theranos’ blood-test claims ended once experts spoke out, showing the importance of strong relationships between pathologist and journalists Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter John Carreyrou’s investigation into former Silicon Valley darling Theranos is credited with turning the spotlight on the blood-testing company’s claims and questionable technology. However, Carreyrou’s investigation may never have happened without the assistance of Missouri pathologist Adam...