Jun 18, 2012 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily
Medical laboratories and pathology groups can participate in national survey about changes in average revenue-per-requisition and average number of tests-per-requisition
Across the country, a number of clinical laboratory organizations have privately told The Dark Report editorial team that they have experienced a decline in the average number of lab tests-per-requisition over the past 18 months. Since the sample size is so small, it would be inappropriate to conclude that the experience of these labs reflects a national trend.
At the same time, even though this data is anecdotal and from a handful of lab organizations, it could be an early sign of an important shift in lab test utilization by clinicians. In recent years, employers, private payers, and the Medicare/Medicaid programs have initiated a variety of initiatives that have the common goal of encouraging physicians to more wisely utilize medical laboratory tests.
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Sep 30, 2011 | Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Medical laboratories and pathology groups lose access to tissue specimens when office-based physicians operate their own in-clinic pathology laboratory
One trend reshaping the profession of anatomic pathology with surprising speed is the growth of in-clinic pathology laboratories by specialist physicians. As each office-based physician group builds its own in-clinic pathology laboratory, local pathology groups and medical laboratories lose access to the tissue specimens these doctors now process in their own pathology lab.
This trend has significant consequences for the nation’s 3,300 pathology group practices, as well as those national pathology and clinical laboratory companies that compete for the biopsy tissue referrals of office-based physicians. Losing access to the tissue referrals of local physicians makes it tougher for local pathologists to develop a broad range of experience and skills.
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May 5, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Medical laboratory test data represents an essential component of the patient health record
It will soon be the era of patient health records (PHRs), based on data gathered during a survey conducted by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF). That has implications for clinical laboratories and pathology groups across the United States, since most laboratories now electronically report laboratory test results to physicians and their patients.
Press coverage of the study, titled “Consumers and Health Information Technology: A National Survey” following its release last month, touted the findings that wealthier individuals tend to use PHRs more, but that those with lower incomes and chronic conditions who use PHRs tend to benefit the most.
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