Rising Demand for Clinical Laboratory Tests, Combined with Falling Payments Put Pressure on Australian Pathologists
Older, sicker patients require more medical laboratory tests to monitor chronic conditions
Like much of the developed world, Australia faces a rising demand for health services, including pathology and clinical laboratory testing. Pressure on the government to reduce health costs is intense, and that nation’s health officials are wrestling with how to rein in the soaring cost of pathology tests.
Pathologists, health policy wonks, and government health officials all recognize that, in Australia, an aging and increasingly obese population is raising the incidence of chronic conditions. This is particularly true for heart disease and diabetes.
