Preparing Clinical Laboratories for Invasive Federal Enforcement of Fraud and Abuse Laws, Increased Scrutiny by Private Payers, New Education Audits, and More
Medical laboratory leaders need to take opportunities to stay abreast of government and payer activity, particularly as payer audits become tougher, say legal experts Even compliant clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups are reporting tougher audits and...
read more17 Former Employees Accuse Orig3n of Clinical Laboratory Test Inaccuracies, Contamination, and Fabricated Test Results
This is not the first time genetic-testing company Orig3n has been scrutinized by state and federal investigators over its business practices It’s not often that multiple employees of a clinical laboratory company go public with criticism about the quality of their...
read moreMedical Tourism Lowers Healthcare Costs for Companies and Their Employees, But Is It Good Medicine for Patients and Can Clinical Laboratories Participate?
Some companies save so much in healthcare cost they pay their employees to participate in medical tourism programs Medical tourism is not new, but it’s changing, and clinical laboratories have a role to play in the models employers use to save money on their...
read moreTwo New Definitive Healthcare Surveys Show Use of Inpatient Telehealth is Outpacing Outpatient Telehealth Services
Medical laboratories may find opportunities guiding hospital telehealth service physicians in how clinical lab tests are ordered and how the test results are used to select the best therapies Telehealth is usually thought of as a way for patients in remote settings to...
read moreFREE SPECIAL EDITION WHITE PAPER | Clinical Laboratory Information System Implementation Brief: What You Need to Know About LIS Installations, Conversions, and Interface Projects
A recent LIS market report shows that demand for a modern LIS is driven by a number of factors: acceleration of laboratory automation, the need for improved lab efficiency, advances in integrated functionality, importance of compliance with regulatory requirements, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases.
Indeed, because all laboratories are now routinely being asked to do more with less, these and numerous other urgent reasons are compelling independent and hospital laboratories to invest resources in a major laboratory information implementation or upgrade.
read morePathologist, Neurosurgeon, and Critical Care Specialist Face Criminal Charges in the Deaths of Dozens of Patients
Could local and federal prosecutors ask clinical laboratories to disclose information on their client physicians’ test-ordering activities when investigating medical errors? Are physicians facing greater risk of criminal indictments when one of their patients dies,...
read moreNew Player in Market for Laboratory Information System Products Acquires Orchard Software
Sale of respected laboratory information system company may be an early sign that investors believe clinical laboratories and pathology groups are ready to upgrade their LISs and add needed capabilities In the past 10 years there has been little disruption to the...
read moreWellcome Sanger Institute Study Discovers New Strain of C. Difficile That Targets Sugar in Hospital Foods and Resists Standard Disinfectants
Researchers believe new findings about genetic changes in C. difficile are a sign that it is becoming more difficult to eradicate Hospital infection control teams, microbiologists, and clinical laboratory professionals soon may be battling a strain of Clostridium...
read moreAs the Public Becomes More Aware of the Large Variability in how Clinical Laboratories Price Their Tests, All Labs Need Strategy for Complying with CMS’ Pricing Transparency Requirements
Journalists, researchers, and a growing number of consumers now recognize the often huge variability in the prices different medical laboratories charge for the same lab tests One step at a time, the Medicare program, private health insurers, and employers are putting...
read moreVeritas Genetics Drops Its Price for Clinical-Grade Whole-Genome Sequencing to $599, as Gene Sequencing Costs Continue to Fall
Low prices to encourage consumers to order its WGS service is one way Veritas co-founder and genetics pioneer George Church hopes to sequence 150,000 genomes by 2021 By announcing an annotated whole-genome sequencing (WGS) service to consumers for just $599, Veritas...
read moreEBRC Report Offers a 20-Year Synthetic Biology Roadmap That Could Lead to New Diagnostic Technologies for Clinical Laboratories, Pathologists
The 80 scientists and engineers that comprise the consortium believe synthetic biology can address key challenges in health and medicine, but technical hurdles remain Synthetic biology now has a 20-year development roadmap. Many predict this fast-moving field of...
read moreCMS Releases Revision to State Operations Manual Special Procedures for Laboratories
Presenters at the 13th Annual Lab Quality Confab 2019 discussed the negative impact of disparities between medical laboratory processes and SOPs ATLANTA, Oct. 18, 2019—Several weeks ago, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quietly released...
read moreFederal Advisory Committee Seeks Public Comments on Revising CLIA Regulations, says Keynote Speaker at 13th Annual Lab Quality Confab in Atlanta
At The Dark Report’s annual Lab Quality Confab for clinical laboratory administrators, managers, and quality team members, experts outline how disruption in healthcare requires labs to improve processes and cut costs ATLANTA, Oct. 15, 2019—Clinical laboratory...
read moreCanadian Diagnostics Executive Forum Will Provide Firsthand Insights into How Clinical Laboratories Can Leverage Technology and Innovation to ‘Do More with Less’
As demand rises, Canadian clinical laboratories must learn to juggle test systems automation, funding challenges, and staffing shortages Canada’s clinical laboratories are deeply affected by many of the trends impacting the Canadian healthcare system overall....
read moreUniversity of Edinburgh Study Finds Antimicrobial Bacteria in Hospital Wastewater in Research That Has Implications for Microbiologists
The highly infectious bacteria can survive treatment at local sewage plants and enter the food chain of surrounding populations, the study revealed Researchers at the University of Edinburgh (UE) in Scotland found large amounts of antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) genes...
read moreMight Clinical Laboratories Soon be Processing Tests That Predict Whether Patients Will Die in 5-10 Years?
Metabolic panels of 14 blood-based biomarkers that can predict when a patient is likely to die may be coming to a medical laboratory near you Clinical pathologists soon may be able to predict when patients will die, thanks to a recent study that reveals new insights...
read moreClinical Lab 2.0 Advances as Project Santa Fe Foundation Secures Nonprofit Status, Prepares to Share Case Studies of Medical Laboratories Getting Paid for Adding Value
Clinical laboratory leaders interested in positioning their labs to be paid for added-value services will get knowledge, insights, and more at upcoming third annual Clinical Lab 2.0 Workshop in November It’s a critical time for medical laboratories. Healthcare is...
read moreFederal Judge Blocks New HHS Rule That Would Have Required Pharmaceutical Companies to Include Pricing in Television Ads
Drug companies claim HHS rule violates their first amendment rights, but added web links to drug prices in their TV ads anyway Will American consumers ever see the prices of their prescription drugs? That almost happened this summer, when a Trump administration...
read moreProposed Federal Rules Let Patients Compare Healthcare Costs on Their Smartphones
Another push for price transparency steps up pressure on medical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups to develop compliance strategies Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups are under increasing pressure to develop strategies for making their test...
read moreMount Sinai Health System Study Finds Use of AI-Enabled Monitoring System Improves Use of Blood During Childbirth
Study suggests AI-enabled technology can help clinical laboratories and hospital blood banks save thousands of dollars annually on expensive blood products Artificial intelligence may prove to be a useful tool in helping hospitals better manage utilization of blood...
read moreScientists in United Kingdom Manipulate DNA to Create a Synthetic Bacteria That Could Be Immune to Infections
Use of synthetic genetics to replicate an infectious disease agent is a scientific accomplishment that many microbiologists and clinical laboratory managers expected would happen Microbiologists and infectious disease doctors are quite familiar with Escherichia coli...
read moreClinical Laboratory Leaders Agree: Showing Value Is More Important than Ever as Healthcare Transitions Away from Fee-for Service Reimbursement
How medical laboratories can show value through process improvement methods and analytics will be among many key topics presented at the upcoming Lab Quality Confab conference Quality management is the clinical laboratory’s best strategy for surviving and thriving in...
read moreUniversity of Washington and Microsoft Research Encode Data into DNA, Demonstrating Potential New Use for Genetic Sequences
The proof-of-concept experiment showed data can be encoded in DNA and retrieved using automated systems, a development that may have positive significance for clinical laboratories It may seem far-fetched, but computer scientists and research groups have worked for...
read moreAustralia’s HPV Vaccination Program Could Eliminate Cervical Cancer If Its National HPV Vaccination and Screening Programs Remain on Current Pace
CDC estimates that 92% of cancers caused by HPV could be eliminated in the US if HPV vaccination recommendations in this country are followed Medical laboratories in the United States once processed as many as 55-million Pap tests each year. However, the need for...
read moreDid The Joint Commission Omit Misdiagnosis from Its Lists of Top 10 Sentinel Events for 2018 and 2019?
Though data on delays in treatment due to misdiagnosis have been collected by TJC since 2015, misdiagnosis is not listed among the reported top 10 sentinel events Accurate diagnosis could be the most critical aspect of all healthcare. Without accurate diagnoses,...
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