Nov 9, 2012 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
UnitedHealth’s acquisition of Brazil’s Amil is another example of healthcare’s globalization and may open door for clinical laboratory acquisitions in Brazil
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is buying an HMO in Brazil. The two players are the largest insurers in their respective countries. For pathologists and clinical laboratory professionals, this merger demonstrates that the trend toward globalization of healthcare—including laboratory medicine—continues one step at a time.
Brazil’s Growing Middle Class Drives Demand for Coverage
On October 8, 2012, UnitedHealth announced in a press release that it would pay $4.9 billion in cash to acquire a 90% stake in Brazil’s Amil Participacoes S.A. (BM&FBOVESPA: AMIL3). Amil is Brazil’s largest private insurer and operator of health clinics. The company provides health benefits and services to more than five million people. (more…)
Nov 8, 2012 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Sales and Marketing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations
Speakers at Sixth Annual Lab Quality Confab told attendees that ACOs and integration of clinical care now make it important for medical laboratories to use Lean and QMS to deliver more value while substantially reducing costs
DATELINE: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Here at the 6th annual Lab Quality Confab and Process Improvement Institute (LQC), an enthusiastic crowd of clinical laboratory industry “first movers” gathered to learn how leading medical laboratories, pathology groups, and hospitals are harnessing the power of process improvement to drive gains in quality, customer satisfaction, and financial performance.
Institute of Medicine Report RecommendsContinuous Learning
LQC’s founder and host, The Dark Report‘s (TDR) Editor-in-Chief, Robert Michel, opened the general session on day one with a look at a recent report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The report, titled “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America”, has significant implications for healthcare providers. Including clinical laboratories. (more…)
Nov 7, 2012 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Pathologists will be interested to learn how French researchers used whole genome sequencing of breast cancer tumors to help with diagnosis and decisions about therapy
Pathologists take note! Human whole-genome sequencing of tumors was the source of information for making treatment decisions in a recently-published study. For the first time, researchers conducted a large trial involving testing the entire genome of individual breast cancers with the aim of personalized treatment.
This is the latest example of how rapid evolution of whole-genome sequencing technology now allows researchers to evaluate clinical applications for human whole-genome sequencing. The results are promising.
The research study was conducted at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM). The researchers released their findings at the ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) 2012 Congress, held recently in Vienna, according to an ESMO press release. (more…)
Nov 5, 2012 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
New biomedical imaging technology could enhance pathologists’ ability to examine tissue samples via fluorescence microscopy
Scientists at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have developed a new DNA, barcoding technique. The fluorescence microscopy approach has significant implications for the imaging community.
Beyond imaging, however, pathologists will be able to use this same technology when evaluating tissue specimens.
The new method could enable simultaneous imaging of many different types of molecules in a single cell, according to Peng Yin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and Core Faculty Member at Wyss Institute. The developers expect the method to provide researchers with a richer, more accurate view of cell behavior than is possible using current techniques. (more…)
Oct 31, 2012 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
New blood chemistry monitoring device could replace some traditional laboratory testing
There’s a new technology that makes it possible to continuously monitor an individual’s blood chemistry and wirelessly transmit the data. This technology uses a transdermal patch and is a different approach to clinical diagnostics with the potential to supplant some traditional medical laboratory testing.
This transdermal patch was developed by Sano Intelligence, one of San Francisco-based Rock Health’s start ups for 2012. These developments were reported in a story published by Co.EXIST. (more…)
Oct 29, 2012 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Digital Pathology, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Uncategorized
Clinical laboratory professionals and pathologists should be aware of significant levels of errors in clinician gene test orders
Almost one-third of medical laboratory test orders for complex gene tests contained mistakes in handling by ordering clinicians. This finding comes from a study by ARUP Laboratories, Inc.. The finding is an early warning flag for pathologists and clinical laboratory professionals that a gap exists between the availability of genetic tests and clinician knowledge of how and when to use them and how to interpret the results. (more…)
