May 12, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily
Focus Conference in Glasgow puts spotlight on how medical laboratories must deliver more testing with less reimbursement
Clinical pathology laboratory services might be considered “under siege” in the United Kingdom. That’s because clinical laboratories are facing significant reductions to their annual budgets, even as health trusts throughout the country push for regional integration and further consolidation of laboratory testing services.
This week in Glasgow, Scotland, the Association for Clinical Biochemistry is conducting Focus, its annual meeting. This large gathering for the laboratory medicine profession in the United Kingdom offers attendees a wide spectrum of topics and speakers relating to laboratory testing. Your Dark Daily Editor is here to chair a session, learn from the many interesting presentations, and visit some hospital laboratories in Glasgow.
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Apr 26, 2010 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Older, sicker patients require more medical laboratory tests to monitor chronic conditions
Like much of the developed world, Australia faces a rising demand for health services, including pathology and clinical laboratory testing. Pressure on the government to reduce health costs is intense, and that nation’s health officials are wrestling with how to rein in the soaring cost of pathology tests.
Pathologists, health policy wonks, and government health officials all recognize that, in Australia, an aging and increasingly obese population is raising the incidence of chronic conditions. This is particularly true for heart disease and diabetes.
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Apr 14, 2010 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement
In the long term, quality measures should elevate recognition of the value of clinical pathology testing
Healthcare quality measures continue to increase, both in numbers and in sophistication. These quality measures offer consumers, insurers, employers, and government health agencies some information about the relative value of clinical services. But the holy grail of quality measures—outcomes data and cost data that adequately reflect patient complexity and environment—is still elusive, say experts.
Dark Daily has long predicted that healthcare quality rating and ranking efforts would boost the fortunes of clinical pathology laboratory testing. Since laboratory tests play an essential role in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of many diseases and health conditions, it stands to reason that physicians would more highly value the knowledge of pathologists and laboratory scientists because it helps them achieve improved outcomes with their patients.
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Apr 5, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Consumer products giant acquires 100% ownership of concierge medicine company
Clinical laboratories and pathology groups may soon be serving physician practices owned by Procter & Gamble (P&G) (NYSE:PG). That’s because the consumer products giant now owns 100% of MDVIP, a nationwide concierge practice of 350 doctors in 28 states.
The deal is noteworthy because it further expands Procter & Gamble’s presence in healthcare. In 2006, P&G invested $325 million in a joint venture with Inverness Medical (NYSE:IMA). The joint venture announced its intention to develop and market diagnostic test kits for use by consumers that can be sold in retail outlets. At the time, The Dark Report wrote that, “P&G’s interest in consumer self testing is based on its belief that consumer demand for health services and healthcare products will soar in the coming decades.” (See The Dark Report, June 4, 2007, “ Inverness Buys Biosite, Has New Venture with P&G” )
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Mar 15, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Uncategorized
Company intends to use pattern recognition software to evaluate risk of skin cancer
A “do it yourself” dermatopathology service for consumers is coming soon, according to Health Discovery Corporation (HDC) of Savannah, Georgia. The company is preparing to introduce a cell phone-based tool to help consumers recognize whether a mole or other skin lesion needs examination by a dermatologist.
Using their cell phone cameras, consumers would click a photo of the skin lesion, then forward that image to a computer at HDC. Using pattern recognition algorithms developed by the company, called Support Vector Machines, the computer would analyze the image. A report telling the consumer whether the lesion was low, medium or high risk for skin cancer would be sent as a text message. This text message would include a list of dermatologists located near the consumer. The list of dermatologist referrals would be targeted to the user’s geographic area. HPC would compile this list, based on GPS data collected from the cell phone transmission.
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