The Quest to be the Best‐In‐Value Clinical Laboratory

Abstract

![Graphic][1] Our nation's healthcare system is undergoing a massive transformation and reorganization. Along with changing regulations and delivery models, the average patient is more connected to and involved in his or her care, more and more providers are utilizing electronic medical records to coordinate treatment, and insurance companies are leveraging analytical tools to study the pools of subscribers covered. Amidst this change, a slow but steady movement towards “smart” and “value‐added” care is underway. Pathologists and clinical laboratory administrators realize that the transactional fee‐for‐service (FFS) model is on the decline, while value‐based care and testing is on the rise. The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Henry Ford Health System, Detroit (PALM HFHS) has taken innovative steps in placing and presenting the value proposition of its laboratory services. In the traditional healthcare delivery model, patient care is delivered through a physician‐led team. All services are transactional and often delivered in silos (clinic, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, etc.), as requested by the clinical team. Critics of this model have often termed this “sickcare,” rather than healthcare, as the entire delivery mechanism seems to be focused on treating patients rather than keeping populations healthy. ![Graphic][2] ![Graphic][3] However, with looming shortfalls in the ability of our nation to fund its burgeoning healthcare costs, recent legislation and healthcare reforms have forced a reconfiguration of this model from an episodic and individualcentric approach to a long‐term and population‐centric approach. The latter is a preventive model of care, where the emphasis is in keeping the patient out of the hospital, and delivering care in the most seamless and cost‐ effective manner. This will also help in addressing the shortage in the trained and skilled personnel needed to sustain the existing care model. In the future, providers and hospitals will be reimbursed and incentivized (and penalized) based on multiple quality … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [3]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif