May 21, 2014 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Other topics of keen interest at the meeting were digital pathology, whole-slide imaging, and the role of pathology informatics in healthcare ‘big data’
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA—During their annual meeting here last week, pathologists who are members of the Association for Pathology Informatics (API) made it clear that they are prepared to support fast and radical changes to anatomic pathology and clinical pathology.
Several speakers called attention to specific threats already disrupting the long-established model of the private pathology group practice. There was also no disagreement that cuts in fee-for-service reimbursement for key anatomic pathology CPT codes were already eroding the financial stability of many pathology practices and pathology lab companies. (more…)
Dec 16, 2013 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations
Across the nation, as many as 500 ACOs are organizing or already delivering clinical services to as many as 43 million Americans
There is no better way to track the progress of accountable care organizations (ACOs) than to monitor a list of the largest ACOs in the United States. Many pathologists and clinical laboratory managers already serve patients who are enrolled in ACOs.
Oliver Wyman, a consulting firm headquartered in New York City, is tracking the development of ACOs in different regions of the nation. It recently published the statistics on the number of ACOs and estimated ACO enrollment.
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Mar 18, 2013 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Goal is to deliver more accurate medical laboratory testing in developing countries to improve quality of care
Picture a point-of-care (POC) device that produces highly accurate HIV results at a lower cost and 10 times faster than traditional ELISA testing currently done by clinical laboratories—then automatically, instantaneously transmits and synchronizes the results with cloud-based electronic healthcare records. This device is a reality and was developed by researchers at Columbia University in New York City.
Pathologists and medical laboratory professionals should know that this POC device was developed specifically to support laboratory-quality HIV-testing in remote areas of developing countries. Its creators want to also revolutionize the ability of patients and consumers worldwide to manage their health. (more…)
Mar 15, 2013 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Nearly 500 healthcare organizations nationwide to participate in payment bundling for 48 Conditions
Medicare’s largest bundled reimbursement project to date is now launching. Clinical laboratory executives and pathologists are watching for clues as to how these bundled payment arrangements will compensate the clinical laboratory testing done on behalf of patients whose care is covered by this latest Medicare initiative.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will commence implementation of Phase 1 of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative. This will be a three-year project that will test the viability of a universal bundled payment system to improve coordination and quality of care and lower costs. It is also the largest bundled-payment pilot to date, with nearly 500 participants, according to a story published by Healthcare Finance News.
One major goal of this Medicare project is to begin moving providers from the current fee-for-payment model to a single, lump-sum payment model. This would be true for all Medicare Part A and Part B services provided during one episode of care. (more…)
Dec 31, 2012 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Who is responsible when a patient is misdiagnosed because the patient’s physician read a clinical laboratory test report incorrectly?
Could clinical pathologists be held responsible for medical errors caused by other providers? That’s a possibility under a proposal from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
AHRQ is seeking approval for a prototype of a new reporting system for medical errors, AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., told The New York Times in a story published on September 22, 2012. “Currently there is no mechanism for consumers to report information about patient safety events,” she said.
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