UnitedHealthcare Offers Apple Watches to Wellness Program Participants Who Meet Fitness Goals; Clinical Laboratories Can Participate and Increase Revenues
Mobile, wearable, mHealth monitoring devices are a key element of many employer fitness programs and clinical laboratories can play an important role in their success For years Dark Daily has encouraged clinical laboratories to get involved in corporate wellness...
read moreMany Hospital Laboratories Must Report PAMA Private Payer Clinical Lab Test Price Data as ‘Applicable Labs’ in 2019, But Lack Systems and Expertise for This Task
Medicare officials are including most hospital laboratories in this PAMA data reporting cycle, but hospitals face $10,000/day federal penalties for not filing, filing late, or filing incomplete or inaccurate data Clinical laboratories operated by hospitals and health...
read moreImplementing a New EHR at the Veterans Administration Is Taking Longer and Costing More than Earlier Estimates
With a now-estimated price tag of $16.1 billion, federal regulators and government representatives question the VA’s replacement for their VistA medical records system Originally estimated to cost $10 billion, a contract to replace the federal Department of Veterans...
read moreRural, For-Profit Hospitals Closing at an Alarming Rate Putting Some Independent Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups at Risk
Most of the hospital closures occurred in states that did not expand their Medicaid programs following the Affordable Care Act of 2014 Sustained financial pressure is not limited to clinical laboratories. Rural hospitals are under grave financial pressure as well....
read moreMicrobiologists Determine That Workout Warriors Are Drinking from Reusable Water Bottles Contaminated with Bacteria Found to Cause Hospital-Acquired Infections
Brazilian study finds Staph, E. coli, and other bacteria that contribute to hospital-acquired infections in reusable water bottles used by members of multiple fitness centers In the latest example of Microbiologists swabbing and culturing samples taken from common,...
read moreCustomized Cancer Vaccines Based on Individual Patients’ DNA Could Soon Be a Reality, Might Require Diagnostic Support from Anatomic Pathology Labs
Pharmaceutical developers are combining genetic sequencing and precision medicine to create new drug therapies and cancer treatments designed for specific patients Most anatomic pathologists are aware of the rapid advances in the field of cancer...
read moreWalmart and Home Depot Employ Copay Accumulators to Keep Employee Healthcare Costs Down and Encourage Utilization of Generic Prescription Drugs
While clinical laboratories may not be directly affected by copay accumulators, anything that affects patients’ ability to pay for healthcare will likely impact lab revenues as well Here’s a new term and strategy that some big employers are deploying in an attempt to...
read moreNew CMS Final Rule Makes Clinical Laboratory Test/Procedure Pricing Listed on Hospital Chargemasters Available to Public
Experts are skeptical of the value of public price lists based on hospital chargemasters due to complexity and poor reflection of actual costs In another big step toward helping consumers view prices of medical procedures when selecting providers, the Centers for...
read moreYale Study Finds Obtaining Personal Medical Records from Hospitals Can Be Difficult for Many Patients
The researchers also found unnecessarily confusing policies and procedures for requesting medical records, such as clinical laboratory test results Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups looking for ways to improve their customers’ experience should give...
read moreMicrobiologists Take Note! UPenn Study Using Next-Generation Sequencing Finds Stethoscopes Harbor Vast Amounts of Bacteria, Including Staphylococcus Aureus, Which Causes Deadly Hospital-Acquired Infections
Researchers also found Staph and other bacteria on stethoscopes after they had been cleaned, leading to scrutiny of cleaning agents and methods Microbiologists, anatomic pathologists, and clinical laboratory leaders should be intrigued by a university study which...
read moreFDA Authorizes 23andMe to Report Results of Direct-to-Consumer Pharmacogenetics Test to Customers without a Prescription, Bypassing Doctors and Clinical Laboratories
FDA cautions patients to not use data gained from the DTC test to make healthcare decisions on their own Clinical laboratories continue to be impacted by the growing direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing market, as more walk-in lab customers order at-home tests. Now, the...
read moreBalance Billing Under Increased Scrutiny at Both State and Federal Levels; Clinical Laboratory Tests Top List of Surprise Bills Received by Patients
Experts blame insurance regulators for not ensuring the adequacy of healthcare networks that include hospital-based physicians, such as pathologists and radiologists According to a recent study, clinical laboratories, anatomic pathologists, radiologists, and...
read moreUtah Public Employees Receive Transportation and a $500 Cash Bonus to Purchase Prescriptions in Mexico
Pharmaceutical tourism, like medical tourism, casts light on healthcare’s true costs and identifies patient populations that bear the brunt of growing drug prices You’ve heard of medical tourism, where patients travel to other countries to receive low-cost,...
read moreDouble-Digit Increase in Medicare Advantage Plan Growth May Be Good News for Seniors but Bad News for Local Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups in 2019
Popularity of Medicare Advantage Plans fuels influx of new companies into the marketplace with anticipated enrollment of more than 22.6 million beneficiaries, or more than one-third of Medicare-eligible consumers Continuing enrollment growth in Medicare Advantage...
read moreWith Experienced Baby Boomers Retiring in Ever-Larger Numbers, Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups Use New Methods to Improve Productivity, Reduce Costs
All labs face the challenge of coping with shrinking budgets and staffing shortages, which is why coaching, management observation, and continuous improvement initiatives are proving helpful to medical laboratories It’s the biggest generational shift since baby...
read moreUnitedHealth Group to Launch Electronic Health Records Platform in 2019; Will It Guide Physicians to Preferred Clinical Laboratory Providers?
Leveraging the user base of its existing Rally mobile wellness platform, UnitedHealth Group plans to expand its new electronic health records system to 50 million benefited members and one million healthcare providers by the end of 2019 Before the end of 2019,...
read moreBecker’s Hospital Review Lists Top Challenges Facing Hospitals and Health Networks in 2019
Rising cost of prescription drugs tops Becker’s list of ‘headwinds’ facing healthcare industry, but no clinical laboratory issues make the list Clinical laboratory managers and anatomic pathologists working in hospitals and health network systems will find their...
read moreNebula Genomics Offers FREE Whole Genome Sequencing to Customers Willing to Allow Their Data Be Used by Researchers for Drug Development
Different model for medical laboratory testing has customers receiving compensation for the use of their genetic data while maintaining control over who receives it and how it is used Clinical laboratory leaders and anatomic pathologists will agree that offering whole...
read moreMillennials Forge New Paths to Healthcare, Providing Opportunities for Clinical Laboratories
Time, cost, and technology are cited as reasons why Gen Y, or Millennials, choose non-traditional healthcare settings, such as urgent care centers, in greater numbers than other age groups Younger Americans increasingly seek healthcare through non-traditional means,...
read moreFDA Clears AI Device for Diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy; Is this Favorable for Use of AI in Digital Pathology?
FDA clearance of a cloud-based, AI system capable of diagnosing diabetic retinopathy using retinal images highlights the potential for deep learning and algorithmic analysis to assist and, in some cases, replace diagnosticians in medical tests While clinical...
read moreMcKinsey and Company Report Highlights Precision Medicine’s Advancements in Integrating Genetic Testing Results with Electronic Medical Records
New McKinsey report offers three market trends that could help clinical laboratories position themselves as front-runners in the race toward precision medicine With federal Medicare reporting and reimbursement programs now weighted heavily toward precision medicine...
read moreSingapore University Researchers Unveil Portable $1 Point-of-Care Testing That Speedily Tests for Multiple Diseases
Hand-held tests developed from the work of the NUS BIGHEART team could help caregivers in remote areas diagnose disease quickly, accurately, and inexpensively There is great demand in Asia for diagnostic tests that are cheap, accurate, and have a fast time to answer....
read moreResearchers at New York Genome Center and Columbia University Discover Why Certain Genetic Mutations Cause Disease in Some Individuals and Not in Others
Determining the reason why people with similar genetic makeups can have different risk levels for disease could help scientists develop more accurate tools that clinical laboratories and pathology groups can use for diagnosis and prognosis It’s been a big question for...
read moreErasing ‘DNA Footprint’ from the Internet Proves Difficult for Consumers Who Provide Data to Genetic Testing Companies
Direct-to-consumer testing companies’ privacy policies leave many consumers unaware their genetic information may be shared with third parties Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathologists that perform genetics testing know they are responsible for protecting their...
read moreRutgers University Researchers Develop Desktop Venipuncture Robot Capable of Drawing Blood Samples and Rendering Analyses Outside of Medical Laboratories
Robotics combined with microfluidic systems continue to push traditional clinical laboratory testing and procedures toward physician’s offices and other point-of-care settings Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a new venipuncture robot that can not only...
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Using Data Analytics to Optimize Your Investment
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PAMA in 2019: What Labs Need to Know to Collect Data, Report on Time and Avoid $10,000 per day Penalties
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Performance Coaching and Management Observations to Improve Productivity and Efficiency: Strengthening the Skills of Management to Execute a Lean Lab Transformation
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Make Your Lab Assessment Ready in 2019: Know the Most-Common Deficiencies in Accreditation and Certification and What to Expect in the Future
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2018 Lab Quality Confab Audio Recordings
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What lab leaders need to know to prepare for evolving payer behavior, audits, programs and policies
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The Pathway to Driving Valuation for Your Laboratory: Your Roadmap to Achieving Success, and How to Sustain Growth Despite a Changing Lab Environment
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2018 Executive War College Audio Recordings
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Laboratory Certification and Accreditation Part 2: The Joint Commission, COLA Discuss the Most Common Deficiencies and How Labs Should Prepare for Coming Changes
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Laboratory Certification and Accreditation: CAP & A2LA Discuss the Most Common Deficiencies and How Labs Should Prepare for Coming Changes
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Newly-Available Medicare Utilization and Price Data for Pathology: Why It’s Important to your Lab and How to Use it to Boost Revenue and Pathologist Compensation
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Using Diagnostic Management Teams to Add Value with Clinical Laboratory Tests and Pathologists’ Expertise
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2017 Lab Quality Confab Audio Recordings Set
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2017 Lab Quality Confab Audio Recordings – 2 sets
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Tougher Lab Regulations and New Legal Issues in 2018: More Frequent Payer Audits, Problems with Contract Sales Reps, Increased Liability for CLIA Lab Directors, Proficiency Testing Violations, and More
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Unique Ways to Partner with Payers to Be Paid for Clinically-Necessary Tests: How to Avoid the Denial Loop
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Primary Diagnosis with Digital Pathology Systems and Whole Slide Images: What Every Pathologist Needs to Know, Why It Will Be Disruptive, and How Innovative Pathology Groups Are Already Making Money with DP
$245.00