POCT for POLs

Point of Care Testing for Physician Office Laboratories

In my many years as a physician office laboratory (POL) consultant, I have been called upon to evaluate the feasibility of in-house laboratory testing. The medical practice - understanding the potential of a POL - is investigating the possibility of improving patient care and potentially increasing practice revenue.

Unfortunately this has been the Exception!

Most times I am called in after the critical decisions have been made and the laboratory is either facing a CLIA deficiencey or not proving profitable. Although each situation is unique, I find two common issues when POLs are facing these dilemmas:

"Nobody Told Us That!" OR "But the Sales Rep Said"

Laboratory testing is kinda like taxes. No matter who does them, when the government comes to check, you (or the practice) are still the one held responsible.

Having a POL can prove rewarding and profitable, if you take time plan.

There are three basic steps for determining what is right for your practice and reaping the many benefits of a POL:

• Decide which tests are medically right for your patients and your practice
• Calculate the financial impact and Return on Investment (ROI)
• Choose the procedures and vendors

Over the next few blog posts, I will be discussing in further detail each of these areas with tips on how to determine the feasibility of POCT for your POL!

Ponder this:

What challenges do you face in providing quality care for your patients?

How do you feel about offering point of care testing?

Let me know what YOU think!

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Tim "The Lab Guy"