High-powered hand dryers, like those used in public restrooms, are the latest targets in pursuit of cleanliness in public and medical environments Microbiologists and clinical laboratory scientists will be fascinated by the findings of a research study into a method of hand drying that the study … [Read more...]
How Close Is the End of Private Practice Pathology as We’ve Known It?
Payers are cutting reimbursements for anatomic pathology services, making it essential for every pathology group to understand its financial present and future Certain pathology business leaders are warning their colleagues that the era of private pathology group practice domination of the … [Read more...]
Because of Expanded Numbers of Patients with High-deductible Health Plans, Patients Are Now Responsible for 30% of Hospital Revenues
Medical laboratories and pathology groups should expect point-of-service collection strategies to become increasingly important to their overall success Not only is patient bad debt a growing problem for the nation’s hospitals, but it is now getting national attention within the hospital … [Read more...]
Medicare Clinical Laboratory Price Cuts and Cost-cutting Predicted to be 2018’s Two Biggest Trends for Medical Laboratories in the United States
To offset the loss of revenue from the price cuts to Medicare Part B clinical laboratory tests, labs will need to aggressively—but wisely—slash costs to balance their budgets Any day now, Medicare officials will announce the Medicare Part B Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) for 2018. Both … [Read more...]
Owlstone Medical and UK’s NHS Study Whether Breath Contains Useful Biomarkers That Could Be Used in Medical Laboratory Tests for Multiple Cancers
Owlstone Medical’s breath biopsy platform takes aim at breath biomarkers for an earlier diagnosis of cancer; could it supplant tissue biopsies sent to pathology labs? For many years, medical laboratory scientists and pathologists have known that human breath contains molecules and substances that … [Read more...]
Medical Laboratories Could Be Threatening the Survival of Horseshoe Crabs
Horseshoe crabs have been utilized by the biomedical industry to save millions of lives around the globe for years. But now researchers fear the practice of bleeding them may be threatening their survival Many medical laboratory scientists are aware that horseshoe crabs are harvested to get … [Read more...]
Reference Pricing and Price Shopping Hold Potential Peril for Both Clinical Laboratories and Consumers
While multiple studies show reference pricing is an effective approach to reduce the cost of testing and procedures, medical laboratories and consumers alike must continue to focus on quality to ensure positive outcomes The Dark Report in its September 2016 issue highlighted how reference pricing … [Read more...]
UK Physician Develops Unique Collection System for Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups Designed to Improve Quality of Urine Specimens
National Health Service estimates 73% of 65-million urine specimens collected annually in the UK are contaminated Wanting to know why so many female patients that present with urinary tract infections (UTIs) require repeat appointments, Dr. Vincent Forte, a family GP and forensic physician who … [Read more...]
Generation Z Will Soon be Looking for Employment Opportunities in Clinical Laboratories and Anatomic Pathology Groups
Gen Z values differ from previous generations’ values and medical laboratory managers should know in advance how members of this generation are likely to view their new workplaces Medical laboratories managers and pathology group stakeholders have long been concerned about the looming retirement … [Read more...]
Hospitals, Pathology Groups, Clinical Labs Struggling to Collect Payments from Patients with High-Deductible Health Plans
Challenges getting paid likely to continue as high deductibles make patients responsible for paying much more of their healthcare bills Rising out-of-pocket costs for healthcare consumers is translating into increasing amounts of red ink for hospitals and healthcare providers struggling to … [Read more...]
