The medical laboratory industry has continued to consolidate. Patient lab testing sites are now limited to hospital laboratories and the big two commercial labs, LabCorp, and Quest Diagnostics. Basic economics dictates that the fewer number of choices results in higher demand. From the patients’ perspective, this translates into higher fees and limited choice. Why would you want to have greater access or lower costs for lab testing? Today, doctors rely heavily on lab work for preventive and routine medical checkups.
A Silver Lining
I only have two commercial labs to choose from? Maybe not. There are regional “independent” laboratories that can manage many of the basic lab tests within their facilities. Independent laboratories are also considered the Mom and Pop shops or the local small businesses you like to support. If an Independent cannot perform a lab test, they will ship it out to one of the two commercial laboratories. That’s great news for local commerce. Even better news for patients who share the same zip code. Thanks to better technology, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) enable practitioners the ability to manage effectively patient information, medical records, and better improve test results tracking.
For the regional independent laboratories, installing an LIMS Systems levels the playing field. Computer software developers offer seamless products that automate many of the basic administrative tasks and medical reports. Platforms provide virtual access to physicians and other medical staff. There are plenty of medical reports and routine functions that can be automated. LIMS Systems can reduce the time and resources for medical practices and laboratory facilities. LIMS Software can even provide a customized user interface for medical equipment data. It can also be customized and scalable to support an independent laboratory with four or five workstations to 100 plus workstations.
Technology is Great When It Works
What do data management and software platforms have to do with me? As a patient, you want your medical records and billing information to remain private. Cyber security threats abound and keeping sensitive data private is priority one in the medical industry. That is in addition to the privacy requirements with the passage of the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Even medical software companies are required to be HIPAA compliant. As more and more medical practices and laboratories continue to migrate to LIMS Systems, patient privacy issues are a priority.
