Sequencing of urinary cell-free DNA (cfDNA) offers a comprehensive examination of bacterial and viral infections of the urinary tract and could be a valuable diagnostic tool for both kidney transplant … [Read more...]
PAMA
PAMA Unlocks Golden Age for Innovative Diagnostics
July 30, 2018
By Chance Scott bio The publication of the 2018 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) in January saw a long and heated debate within the lab community come to fruition. When Congress … [Read more...]
PUBLIC HEALTH
HIV Testing Opportunities Missed For High-Risk Patients
July 23, 2018
There are many missed opportunities for testing and diagnosis of HIV among high-risk individuals seen in clinical settings, according to a research letter published June 26 in the Journal of the … [Read more...]
TOP OF THE NEWS
Whole-Genome Sequencing Can Improve Blood Transfusion Matches
July 3, 2018
Antigen typing based on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) can enable more precise matching of blood transfusions, according to a study published online May 17 in The Lance Haematology. The authors say the … [Read more...]
PRECISION MEDICINE
Report Finds Genetic Tests and Their Reimbursement Increasingly Complex
June 25, 2018
The health care technology company Concert Genetics (formerly NextGxDx; Nashville, Tenn.) recently released its third edition of The Current Landscape of Genetic Testing, a comprehensive report … [Read more...]
TOP OF THE NEWS
Genetic Testing Emerges As New Trendy Workplace Benefit
May 29, 2018
West Coast technology companies competing for talent in a tight job market have begun offering novel health-related benefits, like overnight breast-milk shipping and elective egg freezing. … [Read more...]
TOP OF THE NEWS
Screening Blood Donations for Zika, Costly With Low Yields
May 22, 2018
Screening the entire U.S. blood supply for Zika virus may not be worth the $42 million price tag. Fifteen months of screening all donations to the American Red Cross yielded only nine Zika-positive … [Read more...]
TOP OF THE NEWS
CDC Receives Funding to Expand Laboratory Harmonization Efforts
May 7, 2018
The FY 2018 omnibus appropriations bill, passed by Congress in late March, included a little noticed provision that could ultimately bring significant changes to the laboratory industry—$2 million for … [Read more...]
TOP OF THE NEWS
Profound Discrepancies Seen Between DTC Genetic Results, Confirmatory Testing
April 30, 2018
Raw data from direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests have an "alarmingly high" false-positive rate, according to a study published March 22 in Genetics in Medicine. Additionally, the study found that … [Read more...]
SAFETY
Diagnostic danger in the lab: Time to reform how we process orders
April 16, 2018
By Oleg Bess, M.D. bio I don't know about you, but I was stunned by the findings from a recent report published by Coverys, a national liability insurer, which I feel should put the entire … [Read more...]
