Value Of Health Care Services Research Articles

Exploratory Study on the Compensation Practices in Private Hospitals for Clinical Specialists in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Fee-for-service (FFS) has been the main payment method for clinical specialists around the world. However, until most recently, several payment methods for doctors, particularly clinical specialists, such as salary, pay for performance and blended remuneration of the above models have been researched. This mechanism is being used to increase the level of quality and value of healthcare services in the health sector. Despite increasing interest in these alternative payment methods, there is limited research about the payment method offered to clinical specialists in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using qualitative interview with 15 private clinical specialists and 4 hospital administrators working in private hospitals in Malaysia, we explored the existing payment methods offered to private clinical specialists by private hospitals. RESULTS: Our study found that four payment methods were used which were FFS, salary-based, salary-based plus incentives and pool system. Majority of the clinical specialists interviewed were under the FFS payment method. New emerging payment methods which include salary-based and salary-based plus incentives were implemented in recent years, while the pool system was confined to certain specialities. CONCLUSION: The private hospitals in Malaysia provides different payment methods to the private clinical specialists which includes FFS, salary-based, salary-based plus incentives and pool system. These findings can help policymakers to explore the potential of various payment methods in the near future.

Improved Bat Algorithm with Deep Learning-Based Biomedical ECG Signal Classification Model

With new developments experienced in Internet of Things (IoT), wearable, and sensing technology, the value of healthcare services has enhanced. This evolution has brought significant changes from conventional medicine-based healthcare to real-time observation-based healthcare. Bio-medical Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are generally utilized in examination and diagnosis of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) since it is quick and non-invasive in nature. Due to increasing number of patients in recent years, the classifier efficiency gets reduced due to high variances observed in ECG signal patterns obtained from patients. In such scenario computer-assisted automated diagnostic tools are important for classification of ECG signals. The current study devises an Improved Bat Algorithm with Deep Learning Based Biomedical ECG Signal Classification (IBADL-BECGC) approach. To accomplish this, the proposed IBADL-BECGC model initially pre-processes the input signals. Besides, IBADL-BECGC model applies NasNet model to derive the features from test ECG signals. In addition, Improved Bat Algorithm (IBA) is employed to optimally fine-tune the hyperparameters related to NasNet approach. Finally, Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) classification algorithm is executed to perform ECG classification method. The presented IBADL-BECGC model was experimentally validated utilizing benchmark dataset. The comparison study outcomes established the improved performance of IBADL-BECGC model over other existing methodologies since the former achieved a maximum accuracy of 97.49%.

The economic burden of prostate cancer in Eswatini

BackgroundProstate cancer is the fifth cause of cancer mortality among men worldwide. However, there is limited data on costs associated with prostate cancer in low- and middle-income countries particularly in the sub-Saharan region. From a societal perspective, this study aims to estimate the cost of prostate cancer in Eswatini.MethodsThis prevalence–based cost-of-illness study used diagnosis specific data from national registries to estimate costs associated to prostate cancer during 2018. The prevalence-based approach was used employing both top down and bottom up costing approaches. Costs data included health care utilization, transport, sick leave days and premature death.ResultsThe total annual cost of prostate cancer was $6.2 million (ranging between $ 4.7 million and 7.8 million estimated with lower and upper bounds). Average cost-per patient for radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other non-medical direct costs (transport and lodging) were the highest cost drivers recording $16,648, $7,498 and $5,959 respectively whilst indirect costs including productive loss due to sick leave and pre-mature mortality was estimated at $58,320 and $113,760 respectively. Cost of managing prostate cancer increased with advanced disease and costs were highest for prostate cancer stages III and IV recording $1.1million, $1.9million respectively.ConclusionsProstate cancer is a public health concern in Eswatini, and it imposes significant economic burden to the society. This finding point areas for policy makers to perform cost containment regarding therapeutic procedures for prostate cancer and the need for strategies to increase efficiencies in the health care systems for increased value for health care services.

From assurance to coproduction: a century of improving the quality of health-care service.

Over the last century, the invitation to improve health-care service quality has taken many different forms: questions, observations, methods, tools and actions have emerged and evolved to create relevant 'improvement work.' In this paper we present three phases of this work. The basic frameworks used in these phases have not supplanted each other, but they have been layered one upon the next over time. Each brought important new thinking, new change opportunities and a new set of limits. The important messages of each need to be carried together into the future, as must the sense of curiosity and possibility about the commonalities that has driven this evolution. Literature, personal experience and other artifacts were reviewed to develop this description of how the focus on quality work has evolved (and continues to evolve) over the last century. We describe three phases. Quality 1.0 seeks to answer the question 'How might we establish thresholds for good healthcare services?' It described certain 'basic' standards that should be used to certify acceptable performance and capability. This led to the formation of formal processes for review, documentation and external audits and a system for public notice and recognition. Over time, the limits and risks of this approach also became more visible: a 'micro-accounting compliance' sometimes triumphed over what might be of even greater strategic importance in the development and operations of effective systems of disease prevention and management to improve outcomes for patients and families. Quality 2.0 asked 'How might we use enterprise-wide systems for disease management?' It added a focus on the processes and systems of production, reduction of unwanted variation, the intrinsic motivation to take pride in work, outcome measurement and collaborative work practices as ways to improve quality, modeled on experiences in other industries. Quality 3.0 asks 'How might we improve the value of the contribution that healthcare service makes to health?' It requires careful consideration of the meaning of 'service' and 'value', service-creating logic, and prompts us to consider both relationships and activities in the context of the coproduction of health-care services. Efforts to improve the quality and value of health-care services have evolved over the last century. With each success have come new challenges and questions, requiring the addition of new frames and approaches.

Explaining the Factors Affecting the Relative Value of Services and Their Role in the Performance-Based Payment System in Teaching-Therapeutic Centers in the Six national-Wide region of the Country

BackgroundPay for performance (P4P) is one of the most important issues in the health systems that promotes clinical quality, productivity, and patient satisfaction.ObjectivesThe current study aimed to identify and explain factors affecting the relative value of services and applying them in P4P in Iranian teaching-therapeutic centers.MethodsThe current study was performed following a thematic analysis framework with an interview technique. The study population consisted of P4P experts in the six national-wide region of the country. Participants were selected using the purposeful and gradual sampling technique. Sampling was stopped upon reaching data saturation (i.e. 11 participants). Lincoln and Gubachr('39')s evaluation method was used to determine reliability and validity. Qualitative data were analyzed using Nvivo version 12.Results In total 13 basic themes and two organizer themes (i.e. technical and professional components) were identified regarding the factors affecting the relative value of health care services. Seven important elements in determining the professional component of the relative value of services included required time to perform the service, stress, knowledge, skill, experience, risk, as well as difficulty and complexity of the service.ConclusionThe model developed in the present study can be used to determine the total relative value of each service and setting tariff of medical services provided by health staff, including nurses.

Modelovanje satisfakcije korisnika zadravstvenih usluga - podaci iz Srbije

Customer loyalty, with satisfaction of customers as its main precondition, has long been regarded as an overarching goal of service businesses. With the proliferation of health care providers, which brought about rising competitive pressures on the market, the issue of how to satisfy and keep patients has been attracting increasing attention of researchers and health care management. Therefore, this study aims to examine the antecedents of patient satisfaction and its direct and mediated impact on patients' behavioural intentions in thus far under-studied context of emerging economy's health care system. The study has been conducted in a primary health care setting, on a convenience sample of 300 patients, by means of structured questionnaire. The application of structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed direct impact of health care service quality on patient satisfaction and its mediated impact on satisfaction, via perceived value of health care services. In addition to direct influence of satisfaction on patients' behavioural intentions, its total effect on positive intentions of patients is increased by the impact of patient commitment to a health care provider, which, as evidenced by this study's findings, increases with patient's rising trust into a health care provider. Implications for theory and practice are discussed and further research directions are provided.

The Essential Role of Human Resources Management in Healthcare and Its Impact On Facilitating Optimal Healthcare Services.

The role of Human resource management (HRM) in the healthcare sector is vital to facilitate optimum healthcare services by improving workforce performance and patient satisfaction. A solid understanding of the role of human resource management and related functions is required to safeguard the delivery of quality service and the success of the healthcare program. The study aims to explore the role and responsibilities of human resource management and its impact on the employee performance and value of healthcare services. The descriptive and investigative methodology was applied to analyze and review the previously published academic literature to obtain the influence of human resource management on the healthcare sector. The study illustrates that HRM functions in healthcare have a robust effect on facilitating optimal healthcare services and workforce performance, leading to heightening organizational performance. The study recommends that it is imperative to implement effective human resource management plans to achieve higher performance in providing superior healthcare amenities and further enhancement of healthcare organization.

Accounting for the burden and redistribution of health care costs: Who uses care and who pays for it.

ObjectiveTo measure the burden of financing health care costs and quantify redistribution among population groups.Data SourcesA synthetic population using data combined from multiple sources, including the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)/Health Research Educational Trust (HRET) Employer Health Benefits Survey, American Community Survey (ACS), and National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA).Study DesignWe estimate two dollar amounts for each individual in the synthetic population: (a) payments to finance health care services, which includes all payments by a household and their employers to finance health care, including premiums, out‐of‐pocket payments, federal and state taxes, and other payments; and (b) the dollar value of health care services received, which equals the amount paid to providers for those services.Data Extraction MethodsWe linked the nationally representative survey data using statistical matching. We allocated health care expenditures from the NHEA to individuals and households based on expenditures reported in the MEPS.Principal FindingsWe show that higher‐income households pay the most to finance health care in dollar amounts, but the burden of payments as a share of income is greater among lower‐income households.ConclusionsAccounting for all sources of payments provides a clear picture of the burden of financing health care costs, and how that burden is spread under our current financing system.

Dostępność świadczeń zdrowotnych w perspektywie założeń i realizacji ustawy „o sieci szpitali”

The article analysed the availability of healthcare services in terms of assumptions and implementation of the act “hospital network”. The aim of the research was to try to answer the question about the impact of the creation of a hospital network on the availability of healthcare. The provisions of the act and implementing acts were analysed, as well as the effects of the reform, including: the structure of the hospital network, the number and value of healthcare services, the degree of performance by hospitals of contracts with the NFZ, waiting time for healthcare services and the number of people waiting, the degree of use of hospital beds, expenditure on healthcare, the financial situation of hospitals. The summary concluded that the creation of a hospital network did not increase the availability of healthcare services. It was the result of the failure to take into account epidemiological and demographic conditions and insufficient funding. The situation does not cross out the legitimacy of the creation of a hospital network, but it points the direction of further reforms.

DEVELOPMENT OF BUNDLED PAYMENT MODEL FOR AORTIC VALVE IMPLANTATION

Innovative funding models are increasingly being adopted across health care sectors to help improve patient outcomes and experience, enhance access to acute and community services across the care continuum, and improve the value of health care services and dollars. A bundle payment model involves the provision of a single payment for an episode of care in a given clinical condition or patient population, thus providing a single point of accountability for health care services that are delivered across multiple care settings.

The delivery of value-based healthcare for children with osteosarcoma at Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt.

e18310 Background: Aim of the study was to develop a system to measure the value of health care services delivered to osteosarcoma patients, through developing a standardized set of patient-centered outcomes for Osteosarcoma and using a consistent approach to measure the costs of Osteosarcoma care throughout all care cycles. Methods: The Porter’s Outcomes Measurement Hierarchy was used to define the domains of outcomes reporting for Osteosarcoma, which included three levels of measuring outcomes; health status achieved or retained, process of recovery, and sustainability of health. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) approach was used a guide to determine the actual costs of healthcare services delivered to Osteosarcoma patients throughout their journey of cure. Results: Osteosarcoma outcome measurement tools and questionnaires were standardized based on the following domains: survival, degree of health or recovery, time to recovery and return to normal activities, disutility of care and treatment processes, sustainability of health and nature of recurrences, and the long-term consequences of therapy. The standardized outcome reporting tools under each domain included: toxicity reporting using NCI-Common Toxicity Criteria version 4.0, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Cancer module, Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Score (MSTS) for functional outcome assessment, Palliative Care Outcomes Scale (POS). Process mapping was done for each step involved in the delivery of health care services to children with Osteosarcoma at Children’s Cancer hospital Egypt (57357 Hospital). Conclusions: Developing a standardized system for measuring the health outcomes of Osteosarcoma and the total costs for delivering the health care services is fundamental to measure and improve the value of health care delivered to Osteosarcoma patients.

Communicating Value in Health Care Using Radar Charts: A Case Study of Prostate Cancer.

The transformation from volume to value will require communication of outcomes and costs of therapies; however, outcomes are usually nonstandardized, and cost of therapy differs among stakeholders. We developed a standardized value framework by using radar charts to visualize and communicate a wide range of patient outcomes and cost for three forms of prostate cancer treatment. We retrospectively reviewed data from men with low-risk prostate cancer who were treated with low-dose rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT), proton beam therapy, or robotic-assisted prostatectomy. Patient-reported outcomes comprised the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-50 domains for sexual function, urinary incontinence and/or bother, bowel bother, and vitality 12 months after treatment. Costs were measured by time-driven activity-based costing for the first 12 months of the care cycle. Outcome and cost data were plotted on a single radar chart for each treatment modality. Outcome and cost data from patients who were treated with robotic-assisted prostatectomy (n = 381), proton beam therapy (n = 165), and LDR-BT (n = 238) were incorporated into the radar chart. LDR-BT seemed to deliver the highest overall value of the three treatment modalities; however, incorporation of patient preferences regarding outcomes may allow other modalities to be considered high-value treatment options. Standardization and visualization of outcome and cost metrics may allow more comprehensive and collaborative discussions about the value of health care services. Communicating the value framework by using radar charts may be an effective method to present total value and the value of all outcomes and costs in a manner that is accessible to all stakeholders. Variations in plotting of costs and outcomes will require future focus group initiatives.

Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) Measures in Healthcare Delivery System: Indian Perspective

Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) studiesare increasingly becoming common in developed countries to support product label claims. A large body of research is devoted to developing and validating HRQOL measures. Generic as well as disease specific instruments to measure HRQOL are developed. Development and utilization of HRQOL instruments increased during last decade with efforts to improve patient health and value of health care services. Physical, social and emotional impact of diseases and their impact on patients’ lives are focus of the HRQOL studies. HRQOL, as a concept, differs from physiologic aspects of disease and has been recognized as important clinical outcome in studies that evaluates pharmaceutical agents, medical technology and healthcare. Regulatory agencies life Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) have accepted importance of HRQOL as valid measure in clinical trials to support product label claim. The use of HRQOL instruments have been predominantly confined to North America and Europe. Significantprogress is not made regarding use of HRQOL instruments in designing health policy in developing countries, including India. It is important to know how patients view their health and what their expectations from the healthcare system are for designing appropriatehealth policyand its implementation, budget allocation and deployment of healthcare resources. India, with its vast population and increasing healthcare delivery challenges, should aim at creating infrastructure for carrying out HRQOL studies and use of Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) instruments in making and implementing health policy decisions. Key words : HRQOL, Healthcare delivery system, India

Explanation and elaboration of the SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence) Guidelines, V.2.0: examples of SQUIRE elements in the healthcare improvement literature

Since its publication in 2008, SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence) has contributed to the completeness and transparency of reporting of quality improvement work, providing guidance to authors and...

Game Theory Based Security in Wireless Body Area Network with Stackelberg Security Equilibrium.

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is effectively used in healthcare to increase the value of the patient's life and also the value of healthcare services. The biosensor based approach in medical care system makes it difficult to respond to the patients with minimal response time. The medical care unit does not deploy the accessing of ubiquitous broadband connections full time and hence the level of security will not be high always. The security issue also arises in monitoring the user body function records. Most of the systems on the Wireless Body Area Network are not effective in facing the security deployment issues. To access the patient's information with higher security on WBAN, Game Theory with Stackelberg Security Equilibrium (GTSSE) is proposed in this paper. GTSSE mechanism takes all the players into account. The patients are monitored by placing the power position authority initially. The position authority in GTSSE is the organizer and all the other players react to the organizer decision. Based on our proposed approach, experiment has been conducted on factors such as security ratio based on patient's health information, system flexibility level, energy consumption rate, and information loss rate. Stackelberg Security considerably improves the strength of solution with higher security.

Cost-Effectiveness of Surgical Treatment for Adult Spinal Deformity: A Comparison of Dollars per Quality of Life Improvement Across Health Domains

DesignRetrospective, single-center analysis of consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment for adult spinal deformity (ASD). ObjectiveAssess the value of surgical treatment for ASD across different health domains. Summary of Background DataThe cost of improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important consideration for resource allocation. There is also growing concern among policy makers regarding the incorporation of patient-specific preferences in the appropriate definition and assessment health care value. MethodsSingle-center, retrospective study of consecutive ASD patients undergoing primary surgery with principal diagnosis code 737.0–737.9 from 2005 through May 2010. Patients less than 18 years of age were excluded. The HRQOL measures were based on the Short Form–36, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)–22 questionnaire after at least 2 years after surgery. The SRS scores were translated to a 100-point scale. Costs were collected from hospital data on the total costs incurred for the episode of surgical care. Confidence intervals were calculated using nonparametric bootstrap methods. ResultsBaseline and minimum 2-year HR follow-up data were available for 164 patients, with an average follow-up of 3.2 years and a range of 2 to 7.4 years. Patients were predominantly female (14; 88%) and ranged from 18 to 82 years of age at index surgery (average of 51 years of age). The cost-effectiveness (CE) ratios varied across different HRQOL outcomes, ranging from an average cost of $5,658 per 1-point improvement in SRS Self-image to an average cost of $25,918 per 1-point improvement in SF-36 Physical Component Score (PCS). Results revealed statistically significant differences (p < .05) in CE ratios across different HRQOL outcomes. ConclusionsStatistically significant differences were found in CE ratios across HRQOL sub-domains. This has important implications in the assessment of patient-specific value of health care services, and illustrates that surgical treatment for ASD may be more cost-effective for some purposes (eg, pain reduction) and less cost-effective for others (eg, improved functional activity).

How to Pay Family Doctors: Why 'Pay Per Patient' Is Better than Fee for Service

Physician compensation accounts for about one-fifth of all Canadian healthcare spending. But physicians’ decisions, particularly those made by primary care doctors, are the conduit for the majority of the system’s costs. The incentives physicians have to promote efficiency, therefore, affect the overall quality and value of healthcare services. We believe that a remuneration model for primary care doctors that emphasizes per-patient payments is the best way for health systems to pay its front-line doctors, although it is less applicable to specialists. Further, we believe that over time the capitation scheme could be extended so that primary care physicians would keep track of the costs of their referrals and prescribed treatments, to encourage the most appropriate and cost-effective methods of treatment and make better use of total health system resources.

Optimizing Health Care Delivery by Integrating Workplaces, Homes, and Communities

In recent years, the health care reform discussion in the United States has focused increasingly on the dual goals of cost-effective delivery and better patient outcomes. A number of new conceptual models for health care have been advanced to achieve these goals, including two that are well along in terms of practical development and implementation-the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and accountable care organizations (ACOs). At the core of these two emerging concepts is a new emphasis on encouraging physicians, hospitals, and other health care stakeholders to work more closely together to better coordinate patient care through integrated goals and data sharing and to create team-based approaches that give a greater role to patients in health care decision-making. This approach aims to achieve better health outcomes at lower cost. The PCMH model emphasizes the central role of primary care and facilitation of partnerships between patient, physician, family, and other caregivers, and integrates this care along a spectrum that includes hospitals, specialty care, and nursing homes. Accountable care organizations make physicians and hospitals more accountable in the care system, emphasizing organizational integration and efficiencies coupled with outcome-oriented, performance-based medical strategies to improve the health of populations. The ACO model is meant to improve the value of health care services, controlling costs while improving quality as defined by outcomes, safety, and patient experience. This document urges adoption of the PCMH model and ACOs, but argues that in order for these new paradigms to succeed in the long term, all sectors with a stake in health care will need to become better aligned with them-including the employer community, which remains heavily invested in the health outcomes of millions of Americans. At present, ACOs are largely being developed as a part of the Medicare and Medicaid systems, and the PCMH model is still gathering momentum and evolving among physicians. But, the potential exists for implementation of both of these concepts across a much broader community of patients. By extending the well-conceived integrative concepts of the PCMH model and ACOs into the workforce via occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) physicians, the power of these concepts would be significantly enhanced. Occupational and environmental medicine provides a well-established infrastructure and parallel strategies that could serve as a force multiplier in achieving the fundamental goals of the PCMH model and ACOs. In this paradigm, the workplace-where millions of Americans spend a major portion of their daily lives-becomes an essential element, next to communities and homes, in an integrated system of health anchored by the PCMH and ACO concepts. To be successful, OEM physicians will need to think and work innovatively about how they can provide today's employer health services-ranging from primary care and preventive care to workers' compensation and disability management-within tomorrow's PCMH and ACO models.

Introduction

1. Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach, Ed.D., MLS (ASCP)CM, SBB(ASCP)CM[⇑][1] 1. Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA <!-- --> 1. Address for Correspondence: Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach, Ed.D., MLS(ASCP)CM, SBB(ASCP)CM , Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging, and Radiologic Sciences, EC 3410 Department of Pathology, BF 210, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA 30912, (706)925-081, ekenimer{at}georgiahealth.edu. No one disputes that healthcare costs are increasing dramatically. At the same time, quality and value of healthcare services are being called into question. More and more, the attention of medical laboratory professions (MLP) is being directed toward assessment of quality of clinical laboratory information as correlated with patient outcomes, clinical decision-making, and cost. Emerging is the concept of “value-based healthcare” in which information regarding quality of services is made accessible to consumers, who generate demand for these products and services. Producers compete to increase the value of services which is defined as quality of patient outcomes relative to the cost. 1,2 For laboratory medicine (LM), the distillate of these developments is that the value of our services will be evaluated by how well they support positive medical outcomes and the extent to which they favorably influence medical decision-making. The first question is: Can we as medical laboratory professionals, demonstrate the value of our services and information unequivocally, in data-driven terms, in language understood by the emerging value-based healthcare system providers and consumers? During this decade, there has been increasing focus on the lack of evidence-based laboratory medicine (EBLM) practices and guidelines published or benchmarked.3 EBLM tenets are developing as the methodology required to establish and evaluate LM effectiveness and to standardize best practices to achieve efficiency and measure effectiveness. As in much of medicine, in general, LM diagnosis and treatment rules developed through expert consensus opinion are, currently, the basis of medical decision-making. EBLM promises to provide data on… [1]: #corresp-1

Introduction

1. Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach, Ed.D., MLS (ASCP)CM, SBB(ASCP)CM[⇑][1] 1. Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA <!-- --> 1. Address for Correspondence: Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach, Ed.D., MLS(ASCP)CM, SBB(ASCP)CM , Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging, and Radiologic Sciences, EC 3410 Department of Pathology, BF 210, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA 30912, (706)925-0810, ekenimer{at}georgiahealth.edu. No one disputes that healthcare costs are increasing dramatically. At the same time, quality and value of healthcare services are being called into question. More and more, the attention of medical laboratory professions (MLP) is being directed toward assessment of quality of clinical laboratory information as correlated with patient outcomes, clinical decision-making, and cost. Emerging is the concept of “value-based healthcare” in which information regarding quality of services is made accessible to consumers, who generate demand for these products and services. Producers compete to increase the value of services which is defined as quality of patient outcomes relative to the cost.1,2 For laboratory medicine (LM), the distillate of these developments is that the value of our services will be evaluated by how well they support positive medical outcomes and the extent to which they favorably influence medical decision-making. The first question is: Can we as medical laboratory professionals, demonstrate the value of our services and information unequivocally, in data-driven terms, in language understood by the emerging value-based healthcare system providers and consumers? During this decade, there has been increasing focus on the lack of evidence-based laboratory medicine (EBLM) practices and guidelines published or benchmarked.3 EBLM tenets are developing as the methodology required to establish and evaluate LM effectiveness and to standardize best practices to achieve efficiency and measure effectiveness. As in much of medicine, in general, LM diagnosis and treatment rules developed through expert consensus opinion are, currently, the basis of medical decision-making. EBLM promises to provide data on which… [1]: #corresp-1