Since the ASCP took over the popular and progressive NCA in 2009, I have periodically received emails from medical lab professionals not happy with the merger for various reasons.  Prompted by this overwhelming response, I have previously blogged about this subject. I have also addressed the mixed response to the move. Recently I have ...

One of the most frustrating   issues for clinical laboratorians is that clinicians continue to misuse laboratory testing. Laboratory utilization is a hot potato because of increased concerns with cost (to the laboratory and payer), extended length of stay  abnormal test gets worked up) and patient concerns (Am I sick? What does this ...

  On July 4, 1776 the United States declared independence from Britain and a vigorous new democracy was born. This year we celebrate our 236th birthday and our founding fathers are probably sputtering in wonderment, ''Who knew this experiment in democracy would be so successful?'' When American patriots chose to defy King, Crown, a powerful ...

  We all know that it is illegal to discriminate against someone in hiring based on age. But guess what? Hiring managers and human resource recruiters are human and make decisions based on a variety of factors, some consciously and some unconsciously. I have been helping friends update their resumes recently and so have seen a variety of ...

Two items of news caught my attention this weekend. Tomorrow the Supreme Court will start hearing arguments about the constitutionality of  the healthcare reform law; the so called Obamacare.   Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) aimed at bringing basic healthcare to more Americans  or government ...

Jargon has always been used and does have its place in our communication. Just imagine if a physician wrote out the full name of every test, procedure and medication for every patient very time. In medical lab science where would we be without QC, CBC, CMP, FBS, ESR, PT and the like? Abbreviations are handy and useful. There are also times when ...

We are all familiar with the concept of generic versus brand name for medication. Once a pharmaceutical manufacturer loses its patent exclusivity to make and sell a drug (at an inflated price, usually), other manufacturers can make the same drug. Competition drives down the price and consumers benefit from getting a certain medication of the same ...

We stand on the cusp of a new  year. It is natural and customary to be reflective of the year which is almost behind us and to look forward to the brand new year ahead. Many folks make resolutions, sometimes out of habit, sometimes out of a sense of obligation. The problem with resolutions is that studies show  that  by ...

Communication continues to be at the forefront. A few days after writing my last blog, I had occasion to speak to a Quality Assurance Manager of a large metropolitan Atlanta hospital. She shared that her organization had launched a new initiative on improving patient safety. As part of that push they are actively encouraging reporting ...

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) just conducted a Q-Probe looking at laboratory turnaround times (TAT) for the ED. Ninety participants monitored order-to-report times for creatinine, urinalysis with microscopic, and CBC.  The mean TATs were 48 minutes, 46 minutes and 31 minutes respectively. Depending on where you work, these times ...