News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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Keio University and Broad Institute Researchers Identify 18 Bacterial Strains That Could Help Patients with Gastrointestinal Illnesses

Findings could lead to new therapies and clinical laboratory biomarkers for detecting and defeating antibiotic-resistant bacteria Once again, new research shows that human gut bacteria (microbiota) may be useful in fighting antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections....

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Genetic Tests Are Detecting Prevalence of Bird Flu Virus in US Wastewater and Allowing Officials to Track its Spread

Though PCR clinical laboratory testing is widely used, some scientists are concerned its specificity may limit the ability to identify all variants of bird flu in wastewater Wastewater testing of infectious agents appears to be here to stay. At the same time, there...

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Washington University Researchers Uses Medical Laboratory Test Results and Big Data to Find Accelerated Aging and Risk of Early Cancer in Young Adults

Study shows that computer analysis of clinical laboratory test results has improved greatly in recent years Studies using “big data” continue to show how combining different types of healthcare information can generate insights not available with smaller datasets. In...

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Scathing Report from Former Health Minister Finds England’s NHS Plagued by Long Wait Times, Crumbling Infrastructure

Declining health of UK’s population also affecting performance of the country’s national health service, report notes England’s National Health Service (NHS) is “in serious trouble” due to long waiting times, outdated technology, misallocated resources, and numerous...

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Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Studies Use of Polygenic Risk Scores to Evaluate Genetic Risk for 10 Diseases

Though not biomarkers per se, these scores for certain genetic traits may someday be used by clinical laboratories to identify individuals’ risk for specific diseases Can polygenic risk scores (a number that denotes a person’s genetic predisposition for certain...

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ECRI Study Finds Errors During Testing Processes Are Responsible for Most Diagnostic Errors

Researchers note that many sources of errors associated with diagnostic testing involve how providers order tests and how specimens are handled ECRI (Emergency Care Research Institute), a non-profit organization that focuses on healthcare quality and patient safety,...

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South Korean Study Finds Fecal Microbiota Transplants May Help Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers That are Resistant to Immunotherapies

Study findings could lead to improved treatments for broad range of cancers and the need for microbiome testing by clinical laboratories to guide clinicians Is it possible that there is a connection between an individual’s gut microbiota and the ability to fight off...

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Lancet Study Finds Urgent Need for Improvement in Clinical Laboratory Prostate Cancer Screening Worldwide

Ongoing increases in the global number of prostate cancer cases expected to motivate test developers to deliver better screening tests to pathologists and clinical lab scientists No less an authority than the peer-reviewed healthcare journal The Lancet is drawing...

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10-Minute Blood Test Uses Digital Images and AI to Determine Sepsis Risk for Emergency Room Patients

With FDA clearance already approved, hospital infection control teams and their clinical laboratories may have another diagnostic tool for diagnosing blood infections Controlling sepsis in hospitals continues to be a major concern in nations around the world,...

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Kaiser Family Foundation Reports on Prior Authorization Denial Rates by Medicare Advantage Plans

Another report finds nearly half of all healthcare systems planning to opt out of Medicare Advantage plans because of issues caused by prior authorization requirements Prior-authorization is common and neither healthcare providers (including clinical laboratories) nor...

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Some Hospitals Under Financial Stress Ask Patients for Payment of Certain Procedures in Advance of Care

Request for money upfront comes at a time when many patients already struggle with medical debt   In its reporting of healthcare trends gathering momentum, a national newspaper caused quite a stir this spring when it published a story documenting how some hospitals...

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Cyberattack Renders Healthcare Providers across Ascension’s Hospital Network Unable to Access Medical Records Endangering Patients

Inability to access clinical laboratory test results forced hospitals to suspend critical procedures and surgeries causing major disruptions to healthcare Cyberattacks continue to shut down the ability of hospitals to process orders for clinical laboratory tests,...

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Protesters Outside UnitedHealthcare Headquarters Allege Company Systemically Denies Care

Are ongoing protests and federal investigations into health plan practices evidence that customers have reached a tipping point? It is not common for beneficiaries to get arrested in front of their health plan’s headquarters. But that is what happened in July, when...

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In Massive Crackdown, US Department of Justice Charges 193 Defendants with $2.75 Billion in Healthcare Fraud

Charges include $1.1 billion in alleged telemedicine and fraudulent clinical laboratory testing Nearly 200 individuals in 25 states are facing charges for alleged participation in a variety of healthcare frauds, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a press...

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UC San Francisco Scientists Discover Antibodies That Appear in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Years before Symptoms Occur

Findings may lead to new clinical laboratory biomarkers for predicting risk of developing MS and other autoimmune diseases Scientists continue to find new clinical laboratory biomarkers to detect—and even predict risk of developing—specific chronic diseases. Now, in a...

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UK Researchers Use Artificial Intelligence to Identify DNA Methylation Signatures Associated with Cancer

Study findings could lead to new clinical laboratory diagnostics that give pathologists a more detailed understanding about certain types of cancer New studies proving artificial intelligence (AI) can be used effectively in clinical laboratory diagnostics and...

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University College London Researchers Develop Carbon Beads That Slow the Progress of Liver Disease and Improve Gut Microbiome

As this therapeutic approach gains regulatory approval, clinical laboratory tests to determine condition of patient’s gut microbiota and monitor therapy will be needed Some developments in the clinical laboratory industry are less about diagnostic tests and more about...

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In Vitro Diagnostics Companies Race to Develop Blood-based Tests for Alzheimer’s Disease, Data Suggest a Worldwide Growing Market

As new diagnostic assays are cleared by regulators, clinical laboratories will play a key role in identifying appropriate patients for new less-invasive Alzheimer’s tests With multiple companies racing to develop a blood-based test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD),...

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Cleveland Clinic Researchers Use Artificial Intelligence to Link Metabolites in Gut Bacteria with Alzheimer’s Disease

Findings could lead to new biomarkers for targeted therapies and clinical laboratory tests for multiple diseases Once again, human gut microbiota are being linked to the progression of a chronic ailment. Using artificial intelligence (AI), researchers at the Cleveland...

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Researchers at University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center Develop Urine Test That Detects Head and Neck Cancer

Proof-of-concept study may eventually lead to new clinical laboratory urine tests for fast, non-invasive detection of cancer Here is the latest example of researchers finding useful biomarkers in urine for diagnosing certain cancers. The discovery comes from the...

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