Studies from Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Yield New Information about Health Insurance (Laboratory Information Systems and…

Managed Care Weekly Digest

Studies from Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Yield New Information about Health Insurance (Laboratory Information Systems and Instrument Software Lack Basic Functionality for Molecular Laboratories)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- Investigators publish new report on Health Insurance. According to news reporting originating in Atlanta, Georgia, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, "Laboratory information systems (LISs) have some basic functionality necessary for molecular workflow that is glaringly absent. This study determined functionality gaps of LISs in molecular laboratories and the associated impact to workflow, efficiency, and security by collecting anonymous survey data from clinical laboratory professionals."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, "A 34-question survey (30 required + 4 optional) was compiled using an online survey tool. Participants were recruited through several professional molecular society listservs and given 4 weeks to complete the survey. Data collected included participant demographics, scope of testing, software capabilities for the LIS and molecular instruments, and comments. Eighty respondents completed the entire survey. Many desired versus actual functionality gaps were identified. Prominent among these were bar coding, LIS interfacing, storage of preanalytical data, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance/information security, and reporting. Much basic functionality is lacking in molecular LISs and molecular instrument software. Some of these results indicate that instruments and LISs are not compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "Collaboration between molecular professionals and manufacturers of instruments and software is necessary to correct these deficits and is critically important to ensure the continued high quality and safety of molecular practice as the volume of testing skyrockets."

For more information on this research see: Laboratory Information Systems and Instrument Software Lack Basic Functionality for Molecular Laboratories. Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, 2018;20(5):591-599. Journal of Molecular Diagnostics can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, 360 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of Molecular Diagnostics - www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-molecular-diagnostics/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting A.B. Carter, Childrens Healthcare Atlanta, Dept. of Pathol & Lab Med, Atlanta, GA, United States. Additional authors for this research include M. Swadley and C. Myers (see also Health Insurance).

Keywords for this news article include: Atlanta, Georgia, United States, North and Central America, Government Agencies Offices and Entities, Information and Data Systems, Information Technology, Health and Medicine, Health Insurance, Software, Finance, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine.