Jan 20, 2016 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing
State governor declares ‘state of emergency’ and asks central government for aid to get healthcare facilities reopened in city that will host 2016 Summer Olympics
As U.S. healthcare officials look to contain the spiraling cost of care in this country, government leaders in Brazil are facing an unprecedented healthcare crisis that has caused cash-strapped public hospitals in Rio de Janeiro to close their doors or limit services due to lack of funds.
No News Coverage about Brazil’s Medical Laboratories
Clinical laboratory executives and pathologists should take note of this unfolding story. It may be without precedent that public hospitals in the capital city of one of the world’s faster-growing economies have had to cease medical services because there is no money to pay physicians and staff and buy the necessary medical supplies.
Luiz Fernando Pezão, the current State Governor of Rio de Janeiro, on Dec. 23, 2015, declared a “state of emergency” after as many as 15 outpatient clinics closed and hospitals began limiting their admissions to those with life-threatening conditions. (more…)
Dec 9, 2015 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations
Medical laboratories can get ahead of the trend by developing processes for serving younger healthcare consumers in different ways
Experts say that Millennials are rewriting the rules of healthcare. Rather than following in baby boomers’ footsteps, this new generation of young adults shops for healthcare in ways that may change the provider-patient relationship for all providers, including pathologists and medical laboratories.
Also known as Gen Y, this generation interacts with healthcare providers differently than earlier generations in at least three basic ways:
- When seeking medical advice, they first turn to websites;
- They prefer to ask friends for physician referrals; and,
- They are not shy about requesting discounts from providers to cut their medical costs.
Different Approaches to Choosing Doctors and Communicating Concerns
A recent survey by Nuance Communications showed how baby boomers and millennials are taking different approaches to their healthcare. It starts with how they choose their primary care physician. (more…)
Apr 22, 2011 | Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily
At issue is ability of biotech companies to hold patents on genes that might be used in clinical laboratory testing
Patents involving human genes have always been controversial among pathologists and clinical laboratory managers. This is one reason why many in the medical laboratory testing industry are following the progress of the well-publicized lawsuit that challenged certain patents involving human genes that are held by Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Myriad), of Salt Lake City, Utah.
In the trial, which was conducted last year, a federal judge ruled against Myriad Genetics. The company filed an appeal and, on April 4th, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Court of Appeals) heard oral arguments in the case of Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP) (plaintiffs) versus United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (defendants). This lawsuit was originally filed on March 29th, 2010, in the United States District Court Southern District of New York (District Court).
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