Demonstrating the Value of Clinical Laboratory Medicine: Partnership with Case Management

Course overview

Short description: The healthcare industry continues to face the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include falling margins, flattened revenues, and rising expenses. Given the low Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) based reimbursement under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prospective payment system, it is more important than ever for hospitals to focus on quality measures to provide timely and effective care, prevent complications and deaths, reduce readmissions, and minimize the overall cost of care. While Case Management is typically tasked with addressing these issues, partnership with the clinical laboratory can provide valuable and unique insight and strategies. Until recently, Case Management and clinical laboratories were thought to be an unlikely partnership, however, this webinar will explore real world examples of how collaboration with the laboratory can improve quality metrics within a hospital and demonstrate the value of the clinical laboratory. Dr. Fletcher will outline laboratory strategies for driving improvement in length of stay, transitions of care, denials in payment, readmissions, and hospital-acquired conditions. Each of these strategies has potential to save millions of dollars or drive additional revenue while simultaneously improving patient care. Objectives: 1. List strong evidence of the impact of a clinical laboratory on quality measures to provide timely and effective care, prevent complications and deaths, reduce readmissions, and minimize the overall cost of care. 2. Identify and discuss laboratory strategies to address long length of stay, transitions of care and tests pending at discharge, denials in payment due to medical necessity, readmissions, and hospital acquired infections.