Mar 6, 2017 | Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing
Since most patients do not accurately report what they eat, a new medical laboratory test could provide doctors and researchers with the ‘first independent indicator of the quality of a person’s diet’
It may soon be possible to measure the health of a person’s diet by use of a 5-minute diagnostic test recently developed by British scientists. The test can reveal the facts about how well a person eats and has the potential to find clinical value among medical professionals and in clinical laboratories.
What adds to the interest in this test is the widespread incidence of obesity in most developed nations around the world. It would be a useful tool for medical professionals who have wanted better ways to manage this health problem. (more…)
Mar 3, 2017 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement
Medical laboratory and pathology groups could benefit from trend by receiving payments for testing services from secondary payer rather than directly from patient
As high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) become the norm for more Americans, gap insurance is being touted as an innovative way to protect consumers from crippling healthcare costs. This added insurance protection is proving attractive to a growing number of patients with HDHPs.
Use of gap plans by more patients also could benefit clinical laboratories and pathology groups. That’s because patients with HDHPs who would normally be required to pay 100% of their lab testing charges until their annual deductible is met, would be covered for these costs because of their gap insurance. In these situations, labs would have a secondary insurer to bill until the annual deductible was met. (more…)
Mar 1, 2017 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations
PACLAB’s effective use of clinical laboratory sales reps demonstrates how effective collaboration between sales and operations can help an outreach lab increase specimen volume and expand its market share
Despite falling prices for clinical laboratory testing and payers increasingly excluding labs from their provide networks, savvy hospitals and health systems continue to enjoy profitable laboratory outreach programs. One common factor shared by these successful hospital lab outreach businesses is that they support productive lab sales representatives.
To tell the story of how effective lab sales reps contribute to the ongoing success of the hospital lab outreach programs they serve, The Dark Report initiated the clinical lab industry’s first-ever program of national recognition for top-performing lab sales representatives. These awards were launched in May 2016, at the 21st Annual Executive War College on Laboratory and Pathology Management (EWC). At that time, The Dark Report also announced the first winners of the National Lab Sales Excellence Awards contest. (more…)
Feb 24, 2017 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing
Experts point to the challenges: not only is there a lack of consensus in how to best measure patient satisfaction, but there are also different opinions as to what are the right steps providers should take to improve the patient experience
In today’s healthcare industry, “Patient Satisfaction” is high on the list of phrases likely to be heard in any medical facility, including in pathology groups and clinical laboratories. With recent and ongoing changes to the way that providers are paid, patient satisfaction as a measure of quality will only gain in importance.
But if there is consensus that it is important to monitor patient satisfaction and use that data to guide efforts to improve how patients view their care, there is certainly no consensus on the most effective ways to measure patient satisfaction. Nor is there much consensus on how providers, including medical laboratories, should use patient satisfaction data to improve the patient experience.
This challenge is addressed by Deirdre Mylod, PhD, who pointed out in a PatientEngagementHIT article, “The exercise is not to make consumers happy. The exercise is to reduce patient suffering.” Mylod is Executive Director of the Institute for Innovation, a nonprofit research collaborative that publishes relevant and practical findings concerning patient satisfaction that help healthcare organizations deliver better care. (more…)
Feb 22, 2017 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
80% of US employers are using financial incentives in wellness programs, and Penn Medicine research suggests better incentive design is needed to get people to exercise
In recent years, there’s been plenty of headlines about wellness programs offered by employers and health insurers. Data show that such programs are cost-effective. But, until now, there were few studies about employees’ attitudes toward wellness programs. Because some of these wellness programs incorporate clinical laboratory testing, medical labs have a stake in their future.
The fact is that companies want healthier employees and they’re willing to pay for it. Experts say about 80% of US employers use financial incentives in worker wellness programs. And for each dollar a company spends on a wellness program, it saves about $3 in medical costs, according to an article the journal Health Affairs. (more…)
