Dec 7, 2016 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Uncategorized
Big data offers new opportunities for healthcare providers, clinical laboratories, and pathology groups, and this new alliance hopes to accelerate big data capabilities
Big data has the potential to deliver unprecedented insight into optimizing the patient care experience and managing outcomes for healthcare providers. That is particularly true for clinical laboratories, and pathology groups. Yet, with the sheer amount of data generated by today’s ever-expanding menus of diagnostic procedures, communicating this data between systems and analyzing data at high-levels still presents challenges.
To help healthcare organizations jumpstart their Big Data programs, key stakeholders are joining forces. One such alliance involves Siemens Healthineers and IBM Watson Health. In an October 2016 press release, the two organizations announced a five-year global strategic alliance aimed at helping healthcare professionals optimize value-based care that leverages increasingly complex data collected for use in precision medicine.
What should intrigue pathologists and medical laboratory managers about this new alliance is the fact that Siemens Healthineers owns two of the world’s largest businesses in radiology/imaging and in vitro (IVD). Thus, it can be expected that the alliance will be looking to identify ways to combine radiology data with clinical laboratory data that produce knowledge that can be applied to clinical care. (more…)
Oct 31, 2016 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Uncategorized
Recent studies indicate that high readmission rates often may be due to patient demographics, giving clinical laboratories an opportunity to use lab test results in ways that minimize the need for specific patients to be readmitted
Medicare’s efforts to reduce hospital readmission rates have left most hospitals facing reductions in Medicare payments. However, a recent ranking of hospitals by the Modern Healthcare Data Center indicates that influences other than inferior care—such as patient demographics—can affect 30-day readmission rates.
These findings are noteworthy for pathologists and clinical laboratory managers operating medical laboratories in hospitals and health systems. That’s because readmission rates impact a hospital’s budget. Thus, less revenue can cause hospital administrators to reduce spending for clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology services. (more…)
Feb 22, 2016 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Uncategorized
Provider-health plan integration in Wisconsin may serve as model for hospitals and health systems nationwide as they establish their own health insurance plans
One interesting new trend in healthcare is the growth in the number of provider-owned health insurance plans. This is a development that could be auspicious for local clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups because most provider-owned health plans want local labs in their provider networks. This includes contracting with their own hospital labs.
In fact, experts at the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions believe that provider-sponsored health plans are “a potentially disruptive industry innovator.” If this assessment plays out, provider-owned health insurance plans may make big inroads on the market share currently held by insurance industry giants such as UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, Aetna and others. (more…)
Feb 8, 2016 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Uncategorized
New service allows patients statewide to access urgent care via telephones and other devices as Cleveland Clinic positions itself to be a 24/7 provider of choice
Urgent care by telephone is the latest patient-centric and customer-friendly medical service to be offered by the Cleveland Clinic. It is also the first 24-hour online statewide healthcare service of its kind in Ohio, a milestone that has implications for pathologists and clinical laboratory executives because lab testing is often required in support of patients wanting access to urgent care, particularly after hours.
Express Care Online (formerly MyCare Online) is the Cleveland Clinic’s new telemedicine service. It enables patients to see a medical professional for urgent matters via computer or smartphone 24 hours a day/seven days a week, according to a Cleveland Clinic statement. (more…)
Dec 16, 2015 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Digital Pathology, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Sales and Marketing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations, Uncategorized
Transition to value-based reimbursement tops Insigniam’s list of factors altering healthcare landscape
Management consulting firm Insigniam recently identified “10 Disruptive Forces in Healthcare”. Several of these development create significant implications for clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups that are navigating today’s rapidly-changing healthcare landscape.
ACA and Aging Population Reshaping Healthcare
“I have been doing healthcare for 33 years at this point. And there has been more change in the last three [years] than at any time, and it’s by a long shot,” declared Donald Casey, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Segment of Cardinal Health in Ohio. He was quoted by Insigniam Quarterly.
Donald Casey, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Segment of Ohio-based Cardinal Health, has firsthand experience responding to the fundamental changes taking place in healthcare today. Casey points to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and an aging population as the two drivers behind what is a fundamental reshaping of American healthcare. (Photo copyright: Cardinal Health.)
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Jul 27, 2015 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, News From Dark Daily, Uncategorized
Payment reform unlikely to require legislation or raft of new regulations, but shift to value-based payment model will cost clinical labs and pathology groups
Today there is wide recognition in healthcare that the days of fee-for-service (FFS) medicine are numbered. But what is less certain is how fast government and private payers will introduce other reimbursement models, such as bundled payments and budgeted payments. Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups likely will be the most impacted by this payment shift since their economics are driven by high volumes and FFS payment. (more…)
