TAG:
Pathology group
A pathology group is an organization of clinical pathologists working on the diagnosis of disease based on laboratory analysis of bodily fluids such as blood and urine, as well as tissues, using the tools of chemistry, clinical microbiology, hematology and molecular pathology. Clinical pathologists work in close collaboration with medical technologists, hospital administrations, and referring physicians.
The business model of a pathology group has traditionally been as a private group practice, including solo practitioner, medical group partnership, professional corporation (PC), limited liability company (LLC), and similar professional business organizations. It is common for pathology groups to have contracts with one or more hospitals to provide anatomic pathology professional services and clinical pathology professional services.
Pathology itself is a significant component of the causal study of disease and a major field in modern medicine and diagnosis. The term pathology may be used broadly to refer to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of bioscience research fields and medical practices, or more narrowly to describe work within the contemporary medical field of “general pathology,” which includes a number of distinct but inter-related medical specialties which diagnose disease mostly through the analysis of tissue, cell, and body fluid samples.
Pathologists in hospital labs and pathology groups practice as consultant physicians, developing and applying knowledge of tissue and laboratory analyses to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of individual patients. As scientists, they use the tools of laboratory science in clinical studies, disease models, and other experimental systems, to advance the understanding and treatment of disease.
Clinical pathologists in a pathology group administer a number of visual and microscopic tests and an especially large variety of tests of the biophysical properties of tissue samples involving automated analyzers and cultures. Sometimes the general term “laboratory medicine specialist” is used to refer to those working in clinical pathology, including medical doctors, PhDs and doctors of pharmacology.
Immunopathology, the study of an organism’s immune response to infection, is sometimes considered to fall within the domain of clinical pathology.
Becoming a pathologist entails one of the lengthiest education and training tracks of all physicians. Requirements include four years of undergraduate study, plus four years of medical school, plus a minimum of four to five years of post-graduate training in pathology residency.
Labs Need Response to Physicians’ Use of EMR
CEO SUMMARY: A new trend is emerging in outreach laboratory IT systems. Labs are linking to the electronic medical record (EMR) systems in their physician clients’ offices. Delivering lab results to these systems is already common. Enabling electronic order entry is the next wave. Clini…
Pathologist Builds General Path Business From Office Lab
CEO SUMMARY: Doctors Pathology Services in Delaware is successful for two reasons. First it runs the largest pathology lab in the state. But more important, it runs one of the few successful mobile pathology services anywhere. The Mobile Intraoperative Consultation Service(MICS)allows the…
Pathology Lets the Oncology Cat Out of the Bag
BECAUSE OF GENETIC TECHNOLOGY, the profession of anatomic pathology may be poised for a golden age. The range of new technologies and diagnostic assays heading for clinical use have the potential to give pathologists the ability to detect disease with greater precision. They will also allow pathologi…
Payer Sues Pathologists For Clin Path Fee Refund
CEO SUMMARY: In September, Anthem filed three lawsuits against pathology groups in Virginia, seeking refunds and punitive damages of up to $1million from each pathology group for pathology professional services provided in hospital labs by these pathology groups during the period 2001 thr…
Doctors’ Income Survey Includes Pathologists
CEO SUMMARY: Information on the year-to-year change in average total cash compensation for physicians shows that income is not keeping pace with inflation. That is not news to the physician community. However, pathologists continue to earn compensation that is above the midpoint average f…
Medical Identity Theft Is Twist On Identity Theft Crime Wave
THERE’S A NEW TWIST to the crime of identity theft. In a recently issued report, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alerted the health- care industry to a new threat. Organized criminal gangs are stealing medical information. Healthcare workers are frequently part of these conspir…
Feds Lift Ban on Doctor-Owned Specialty Hospitals
MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT on August 8 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it would resume issuing certificates for specialty hospitals that are owned by physicians. The timing of this decision certainly plays into the predictions of McKinsey & …
Pathologists Contribute To Women’s Hospital
CEO SUMMARY: Speedier pathology reports and more active involvement with clinicians are two ways that the 15 pathologists at Pathology Group of the Mid-South help Baptist Memorial Women’s Hospital meet its goals of improved outcomes and a patient-friendly environment. Even with an off-s…
McKinsey Predicts Most Hospitals Must Specialize to Survive
CEO SUMMARY: Imagine a healthcare system where successful hospitals specialize in particular clinical services, treat patients like customers at a Ritz Carlton Hotel, and have close clinical and financial collaborations with top-performing physicians. This is the American healthcare syste…
Supremes Rule Against LabCorp On Test Patent
CEO SUMMARY: It’s a bad news/good news outcome for pathologists and lab administrators hoping for clearer guidance on patents granted for DNA and other diagnostic technology. The bad news is that LabCorp gets no relief from lower court rulings that it infringed patents on homocysteine t…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 7 – May 12, 2025
Economic, Tech changes drive lab concerns, The Dark Report provides insights from the Executive War College speakers about how clinical labs can use business strategies and tactics to handle the new tariffs, future regulations, and artificial intelligence (AI). Also, this issue provides guidance on how labs and pathologists should prepare for payer audits.
See the full table of contentsHow Much Laboratory Business Intelligence Have You Missed?
Lab leaders rely on THE DARK REPORT for actionable intelligence on important developments in the business of laboratory testing. Maximize the money you make-and the money you keep! Best of all, it is released every three weeks!
Sign up for TDR Insider
Join the Dark Intelligence Group FREE and get TDR Insider FREE!
Never miss a single update on the issues that matter to you and your business.