German Scientists Train Dogs to Detect the Presence of COVID-19 in Saliva Samples; Can a Canine’s Nose Be as Accurate as Clinical Laboratory Testing?

Aug 28, 2020 | Laboratory Pathology

Though only in the pilot study phase, results correlate with earlier studies where both dogs and humans were able to “smell” specific diseases in people Man’s best friend has risked life and limb to save humans for centuries. Now, researchers in Germany have discovered that pooches may be useful in the fight against COVID-19 as well, along with the added benefit that such testing would be non-invasive. In fact, some people believe disease-sniffing dogs may give clinical laboratory testing a...

Clinical Laboratory Leaders Agree: Showing Value Is More Important than Ever as Healthcare Transitions Away from Fee-for Service Reimbursement

Sep 25, 2019 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Sales and Marketing, Laboratory Testing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations, News From Dark Daily

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 this era of shrinking lab budgets, PAMA price cuts, and value-based payment. In fact, the actions laboratories take in the next few months will set the course for their path to clinical success and financial sustainability in 2020...

Attention Microbiologists and Medical Laboratory Scientists: New Research Suggests an Organism’s Microbiome Might Be a Factor in Longer, More Active Lives

Oct 27, 2017 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

Is gut microbiota the fabled fountain of youth? Researchers at Valenzano Research Lab in Germany found it works for killifish. Could it work for other vertebrates as well? Research into the microbiomes of humans and other animals is uncovering tantalizing insights as to how different microbes can be beneficial or destructive to the host. It is reasonable to expect ongoing research will eventually give microbiologists and clinical laboratories useful new medical laboratory tests that assess an...

Consumer Reports Ranks Smaller and Non-Teaching Hospitals Highest in Infection Prevention

Oct 30, 2015 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations

Clinical laboratory professionals and pathologists are part of multi-disciplinary efforts to curb healthcare-associated infections One interesting fact about a national list of hospitals that rank highest in infection prevention is that they are mostly smaller and non-teaching hospitals. This was one finding from a recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports. The survey tracked MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and other common bacteria that...

Study Estimates that Hospitals in Europe Miss Nearly 40,000 Cases of C. Difficile Infections Annually Due to Lack of Clinical Suspicion or Failure to Order a Clinical Laboratory Test

Jul 30, 2014 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations

Not only are clinicians failing to order CDI tests for hospitalized patients with diarrhea, but more than half of European hospital labs still use inaccurate CDI testing methods Once again, the bar on the quality of care is being raised. This time it involves hospitals in Europe. A recently published study shows that hospitals across the continent are not properly diagnosing all the cases of Clostridium difficile associated with patients having diarrhea. Failure to diagnose or inadequate use...