Dec 3, 2012 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Innovative and inexpensive technologies hold the promise of instantaneous diagnosis while transforming conventional clinical laboratory tools
“Point-of-care pathology” may not be that far away! The convergence of medical and information technologies, the falling cost of computing, and the growing availability of miniaturization technologies make it increasingly possible for pathologists and physicians to make informed, on-the-spot diagnostic decisions about patient care.
A new wave of imaging technologies—including pathology tools—is poised to transform the practice of medicine, reported a recent story in the New York Times. Some of these technologies make it possible for pathologists and other physicians to view individual cells in situ and in vivo.
The NY Times story highlighted multiple research and development initiatives that have the same goal: reduce the time get an answer for tissue diagnosis and bring diagnostic tests to the patient. Some technologies would engage pathologists. Others reflect developments in radiology and imaging. (more…)
Oct 22, 2012 | Digital Pathology, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Pathologists and clinical laboratory managers may see an explosion of new diagnostic tests in the wake of ENCODE’s discoveries
You know it’s big news when multiple scientific journals publish numerous papers on the same day, covering the same genetic research topic. That is why pathologists and clinical laboratory professionals will want to learn more about “ENCODE,” the global research initiative that is the source of almost 40 published papers during recent weeks.
Of equal importance, this is basic science that is unlocking knowledge of human DNA that is expected to drive an entire new field of medical diagnostics. In turn, the host of new medical laboratory tests based on ENCODE’s new scientific findings will create additional opportunities for the nation’s clinical laboratories to deliver more value to physicians and patients. (more…)
Jan 30, 2012 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Cheaper, faster, and more accurate rapid gene sequencing technologies show great promise in identifying infectious disease agents
In clinical laboratories across the nation, microbiology has greatly benefited from the introduction of molecular diagnostics in clinical practice. Now the field of microbiology is poised to undergo a more profound transformation of clinical practice, due to advances in whole genome sequencing.
Leaders in this field are calling these developments “transformative” and say they have the potential to change “all aspects of microbiology.” The driver to this emerging trend is advanced technology that makes it possible to sequence the whole gene sequence of an organism in a day or less, for a cost that is $1,000 and falling rapidly.
In the past six months, microbiologists and pathologists at such hospitals as Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, have begun to do whole genome sequencing of microbes found in specimens collected from patients arriving in the emergency room. The New York Times wrote about these developments in a story titled “The New Generation of Microbe Hunters,” that it published on August 29, 2011.
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Oct 28, 2011 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Data represents $1 trillion in spending since 2000 and contains clinical laboratory and pathology data
In what may turn out to be a positive development for clinical laboratories and pathology group practices, four of the nation’s five biggest health insurance companies will collaborate and put their medical claims data for billions of transactions into a single data base. Researchers say this database will give them an unprecedented ability to assess utilization trends and the clinical care delivered to patients covered by private health insurance.
The four health insurance companies that will provide data are:
The data provided by each of these health insurers will be submitted to the newly-created Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). This data will consist of more than five billion medical claims dating back to 2000. These claims represent more than $1 trillion in spending. The health insurers are also providing the financing required to launch HCCI. (more…)
Oct 24, 2011 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
As popularity of retail clinics grows among consumers, so does the likelihood of increased clinical pathology laboratory testing at these locations
Retail clinics (RC)—often called “rapid clinics”—are growing at a phenomenal rate. At the same time, more hospitals and health systems are deciding to participate in this growing trend, either by owning and operating such retail clinics in their communities or by providing the clinical staff.
Since the inception of this new care delivery model about six years ago, Dark Daily has predicted that consumers will support rapid clinics located in certain retail settings. Events to date bear this out. For that reason, pathologists and clinical laboratory managers should expect to see, over time, a steady increase in the menu of diagnostic testing offered by retail clinics.
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