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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ACOs Are Learning to Use Big Data

Pathologists and clinical laboratory managers could find opportunity to add value as providers learn to use big data to improve patient outcomes and lower costs

Early adopter accountable care organizations (ACOs) are establishing data warehouses. This is a first step in collecting and analyzing healthcare big data. The move toward integrated care makes big data critical to an ACO’s success. Pathologists and clinical laboratory managers will want to follow the healthcare big data trend because laboratory test results will be a major component of that data.

The Goal of Healthcare Big Data

The goal for healthcare big data is twofold: 1) develop the ability to aggregate a vast amount of data from wide-ranging sources, and 2) use that data in real time to improve care and lower costs, a recent story published in Modern Healthcare (MH) reported. New performance-based reimbursement models mean that big data analytics will be essential for ACOs to succeed going forward. (more…)

HIE 2.0 Approaches as HIE Connectivity Delivers More Value for Patients and Providers

Advances in HIE technology and performance could prove beneficial to clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups

Even before most clinical laboratories have substantial experience with a full-function health information exchange (HIE) serving their region, one HIE expert is predicting that the next generation of HIEs is soon to arrive and will deliver more functionality.

“We’re maturing from HIE 1.0 to HIE 2.0,” declared Micky Tripathi. “We’re in a new world now.” Tripathi is in a position to know. He is CEO of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative. He also participates on the boards and/or steering committees of the Information Exchange Workgroup of the HIT Policy Committee, the eHealth Initiative, and the New England Health Exchange Network (NEHEN). (more…)

HHS and CMS Team Up to Propose New Rule to Give Patients Direct Access to their Clinical Pathology Laboratory Test Results

Draft language of new rule would change existing requirements on access to medical laboratory test results as defined in CLIA and HIPAA laws

Big changes lie ahead in how clinical laboratories and pathology groups must give patients access to their medical laboratory test results. Last week, federal agencies published a draft rule that specifies how patients or their authorized representatives are to be given direct access to their medical laboratory test results.

This draft rule was made public on September 12 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the HHS Office for Civil Rights. Two days later, on September 14, the proposed rule was published in the Federal Register. There will be a 60-day period from the date of this publication for public comment on the proposed rule. (more…)

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