Laboratory Stewardship: Demonstrating the Value of Clinical Laboratory Medicine
dubna 9, 2020
This webinar is presented by Andrew Fletcher, MD, CPE, Medical Director, Consultative Services, ARUP Laboratories, Inc.
About this webinar
As the healthcare industry transitions from fee for service to value-based reimbursement, hospital systems are challenged to improve quality while reducing costs. While laboratory spending only accounts for 2-3% of overall healthcare costs, the laboratory drives 70-80% of downstream medical decisions1, 2. For this reason, proper laboratory stewardship is a critical in today’s healthcare industry.
This webinar will explore essential steps to establish an effective lab stewardship program including governance and structure of stewardship committees. Dr. Fletcher will also outline strategies for implementing successful laboratory stewardship interventions. These strategies include consolidation of reference testing for cost reduction and improved turn-around time, reference test formulary development to limit inappropriate inpatient tests - and appropriate utilization of in-house testing including discussion on the impact of order-sets, recurring daily lab tests and duplicate lab tests. Each of these strategies will drive downstream savings and improve the quality of patient care in healthcare systems.
About the speaker
Dr. Fletcher is a board-certified anatomic/clinical pathologist and certified physician executive. He has significant experience in leading quality initiatives that enhance organizations’ safety and value. As ARUP’s medical director of Consultative Services, he leads a team of expert consultants focused on laboratory stewardship, laboratory efficiency, and outreach growth. He has helped develop laboratory stewardship programs throughout the U.S., which have captured millions of dollars in cost savings.
Dr. Fletcher earned his MD from the Mercer University School of Medicine in Georgia and his MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He completed a surgery internship at the Geisinger Medical System in Pennsylvania, as well as a residency in anatomic and clinical pathology and a cytopathology fellowship at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Fletcher has received numerous awards for quality and utilization, including research grants for blood utilization.
Who should attend?
- Laboratory Administrators
- Medical Technologists
- POCC’s
- RT’s
- Nurses
This webinar:
- 1. Describe ways to establish a Laboratory Stewardship program with appropriate governance and engage ordering physicians
- 2. Develop and implement a reference laboratory test formulary
- 3. Identify opportunities and strategies to reduce duplicate and daily in-house tests
- 4. Formulate strategies to minimize downstream costs through appropriate testing
1. Donaldson K, Young D. An evidentiary rules-based approach to reducing unnecessary lab testing. Am J Clin Pathol. 2010;134:503
2. Forsman RW. Why is the laboratory an afterthought for managed care organizations? Clin Chem 1996;42:813–6.