April 2002

Clinical Decision Support System Improves Lab Test Ordering

Clinical Laboratory Trends / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s “WizOrder” demonstrates that a well-designed clinical decision support system can help physicians make better use of laboratory tests. The early successes of WizOrder demonstrate that the need for improved utilization and application of laboratory tests will be ongoing. It reinforces, once again, that there is an opportunity for lab …

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New Lab Test Technology Must Meet Five Payer Requirements

Clinical Laboratory Trends / By Robert Michel

HOSPITALS ARE NOT THE ONLY healthcare player wary of the high cost of new diagnostic test technologies. Insurance companies all over the United States have increased their scrutiny of new medical technology, including laboratory tests. In a visit to Wall Street last week, THE DARK REPORT attended Bank of America Securities’ conference on “Genomics & …

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First-Ever “Black Belt” Certified In an American Hospital Lab

Lean Six Sigma / By Robert Michel

IT WAS A BIG DEAL in the laboratory of Grant Riverside Hospital of Columbus, Ohio when Lab Site Manager Sandra Hood received her certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt on January 23, 2002. That’s because hospital administrators had selected the laboratory to be hospital’s guinea pig. Their goal was to gauge the effectiveness of …

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“April 1, 2002 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”

Late Breaking Lab News / By Robert Michel

Genaissance Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced it has identified genetic markers useful in identifying which people will respond best to cholesterol-lowering drugs. A study of 500 patients taking Lipitor, Pravachol, and Zochor compared their response to drugs over 16 weeks with a genetic profile that analyzed 100 genes. Among other things, the company says it may use …

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