-- A valuable look at the clinical challenges and questions that arise. in the everyday operation of the clinical lab -- Focuses on practical solutions to the most common, but not necessarily easy-to-solve, problems. -- Covers procedures and policies, planning continuing education, establishing quality control and quality assurance protocols, tuberculosis control, OSHA, and CLIA-88

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Clinical laboratory tests play an integral role in helping physicians diagnose and treat patients. New developments in laboratory technology offer the prospect of improvements in diagnosis and care, but will place an increased burden on the payment system. Medicare, the federal program providing coverage of health-care services for the elderly and disabled, is the largest payer of clinical laboratory services. Originally designed in the early 1980s, Medicare's payment policy methodology for outpatient laboratory services has not evolved to take into account technology, market, and regulatory changes, and is now outdated. This report examines the current Medicare payment methodology for outpatient clinical laboratory services in the context of environmental and technological trends, evaluates payment policy alternatives, and makes recommendations to improve the system.

This concise summary of the most common clinical laboratory management topics emphasizes the need for the entry-level laboratory practictioner to be aware of the financial, personnel, operational, and marketing issues affecting the laboratory in order to successfully perform and compete in the rapidly changing health care environment. Using examples, case studies, and commentaries, this book covers all topics relevant to laboratory management, including professionalism, ethics, employment interviews and selection, diversity, stress management, team building, communication and interpersonal relationships, public relations, scheduling, quality control, information systems, and legal considerations. Medical technologists and clinical laboratory scientists with less than 3 years' experience would benefit from this discussion of basic management topics.

Mass Spectrometry for the Clinical Laboratory is an accessible guide to mass spectrometry and the development, validation, and implementation of the most common assays seen in clinical labs. It provides readers with practical examples for assay development, and experimental design for validation to meet CLIA requirements, appropriate interference testing, measuring, validation of ion suppression/matrix effects, and quality control. These tools offer guidance on what type of instrumentation is optimal for each assay, what options are available, and the pros and cons of each. Readers will find a full set of tools that are either directly related to the assay they want to adopt or for an analogous assay they could use as an example. Written by expert users of the most common assays found in a clinical laboratory (clinical chemists, toxicologists, and clinical pathologists practicing mass spectrometry), the book lays out how experts in the field have chosen their mass spectrometers, purchased, installed, validated, and brought them on line for routine testing. The early chapters of the book covers what the practitioners have learned from years of experience, the challenges they have faced, and their recommendations on how to build and validate assays to avoid problems. These chapters also include recommendations for maintaining continuity of quality in testing. The later parts of the book focuses on specific types of assays (therapeutic drugs, Vitamin D, hormones, etc.). Each chapter in this section has been written by an expert practitioner of an assay that is currently running in his or her clinical lab. Provides readers with the keys to choosing, installing, and validating a mass spectrometry platform Offers tools to evaluate, validate, and troubleshoot the most common assays seen in clinical pathology labs Explains validation, ion suppression, interference testing, and quality control design to the detail that is required for implementation in the lab

Clinical Laboratory Management Apply the principles of management in a clinical setting with this vital guide Clinical Laboratory Management, Third Edition, edited by an esteemed team of professionals under the guidance of editor-in-chief Lynne S. Garcia, is a comprehensive and essential reference for managing the complexities of the modern clinical laboratory. This newly updated and reorganized edition addresses the fast-changing landscape of laboratory management, presenting both foundational insights and innovative strategies. Topics covered include: an introduction to the basics of clinical laboratory management, the regulatory landscape, and evolving practices in the modern healthcare environment the essence of managerial leadership, with insights into employee needs and motivation, effective communication, and personnel management, including the lack of qualified position applicants, burnout, and more financial management, budgeting, and strategic planning, including outreach up-to-date resources for laboratory coding, reimbursement, and compliance, reflecting current requirements, standards, and challenges benchmarking methods to define and measure success the importance of test utilization and clinical relevance future trends in pathology and laboratory science, including developments in test systems, human resources and workforce development, and future directions in laboratory instrumentation and information technology an entirely new section devoted to pandemic planning, collaboration, and response, lessons learned from COVID-19, and a look towards the future of laboratory preparedness This indispensable edition of Clinical Laboratory Management not only meets the needs of today’s clinical laboratories but anticipates the future, making it a must-have resource for laboratory professionals, managers, and students. Get your copy today, and equip yourself with the tools, strategies, and insights to excel in the complex and ever-changing world of the clinical laboratory.

In the new millennium the increasing expectation of customers and products complexity has forced companies to find new solutions and better alternatives to improve the quality of their products. Lean and Six Sigma methodology provides the best solutions to many problems and can be used as an accelerator in industry, business and even health care sectors. Due to its flexible nature, the Lean and Six Sigma methodology was rapidly adopted by many top and even small companies. This book provides the necessary guidance for selecting, performing and evaluating various procedures of Lean and Six Sigma. In the book you will find personal experiences in the field of Lean and Six Sigma projects in business, industry and health sectors.

A modern text that combines the fundamentals of methodology with key elements of interpretation, this book blends business and management issues, analytical principles, and clinical material for practicing pathologists, residents, fellows, and laboratorians. The text is organized into three major sections: laboratory management, instrumentation and methods, and analysis and clinical correlation. The first section addresses issues essential for running a profitable laboratory; modern techniques and instrumentation are examined in the second section; and the analysis and clinical correlation section provides the reader with numerous diagnostic algorithms that illustrate common work-ups and problems. In addition, case studies selectively illuminate specific clinical issues.

Getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care - it provides an explanation of a patient's health problem and informs subsequent health care decisions. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem. According to Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, diagnostic errors-inaccurate or delayed diagnoses-persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. It is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment, providing unnecessary or harmful treatment, or resulting in psychological or financial repercussions. The committee concluded that improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, a continuation of the landmark Institute of Medicine reports To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), finds that diagnosis-and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errorsâ€"has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, diagnostic errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity. Just as the diagnostic process is a collaborative activity, improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.