viernes, 29 de mayo de 2015

DLS|HEALTHCARE NEWS|May 28, 2015

DLS|HEALTHCARE NEWS|May 28, 2015

CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC 24/7: Saving Lives. Protecting People.



A Weekly Compilation of Clinical Laboratory and Related Information
From The Division Of Laboratory Systems

May 28, 2015

News Highlights

  • Educational Material for Developing an Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP)
  • Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS)
  • QC for Accreditation: CMS Validation Inspections
  • A Call for Extragenital STD Screening in Women
  • Fine-Tuning PSA Test Boosts Prediction of Aggressive Ca
  • Urinalysis More Sensitive in Young Infants Than Thought
  • Researchers Report Progress in Making All Blood Types Universally Accepted
  • Blood Turned into Nerve Cells by Canadian Researchers
  • Prostate Cancer Gene Map Points Way to Targeted Drugs
  • New Hopkins Center to Focus on Lyme disease, Continuing Problems
  • Mosquito Sex-Determining Gene Could Help Fight Dengue Fever
  • Blood Pressure Vaccine Shows Promise in Rats
  • Private Sector Not Sharing as Much Cybersecurity Info as Feds Want, Experts Say
  • FDA Must Make Smarter Use of big Data
  • Interstate Medical License Compact Becoming a Reality
  

View Previous Issues - Healthcare News Archive


Leading News

Educational Material for Developing an Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Laboratory Systems is pleased to announce the availability of a free tool, developed in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Division of Laboratory Services. This tool, a step-by-step instructional workbook, is designed to assist laboratory professionals develop Individualized Quality Control Plans (IQCPs) for tests they perform.  Using an example scenario, “Developing an IQCP; A Step-By-Step Guide” walks readers through the process of developing an IQCP that can be sustained and modified, as needed, over time.  It describes how laboratory professionals can perform a risk assessment to evaluate and record their current quality activities on an IQCP worksheet, create a Quality Control Plan from the risk assessment information, and establish a Quality Assessment for the test system being evaluated for an IQCP. The approach outlined in this workbook is not mandatory nor is it the only example that can be used. “Developing an IQCP; A Step-By-Step Guide” is freely available online through the CDC’s website at:   http://wwwn.cdc.gov/CLIA/Resources/IQCP/
Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS)
LLS is a new 2-year CDC laboratory fellowship program that combines competency-based public health laboratory training with practical, applied investigations and service. LLS focuses on biosafety, quality management systems, and management and leadership competencies. The program is aligned with CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) to promote interdisciplinary training, applied learning, and networking. EIS has successfully trained epidemiologists for more than 60 years. The 2015 inaugural class of 7 LLS fellows will begin in July 2015. Applications will be accepted for the 2016 class from mid-May to mid-August 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/lls/downloads/lls_factsheet.pdf
The LLS fellowship:
  • Provides high-quality training that focuses on biosafety, quality management systems, and management and leadership competencies
  • Includes a unique curriculum, core activities for learning, and mentorship to focus on the requirements of public health laboratories
  • Aligns with CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)fellowship program to promote interdisciplinary training, applied learning, and networking
QC for Accreditation: CMS Validation Inspections
Quality control is second nature and part of the air that laboratories breathe. So it’s no surprise that QC should be subject to quality checks of its own. But many people in the laboratory may not know there’s yet another layer to the review process—a triple check, if you will. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services conducts its own form of quality control for the inspection process itself: validation inspections. Under a CLIA mandate that has been in place for more than two decades, all seven of the deemed laboratory accreditation organizations are subject to these quality checks. The validation process provides evaluative data for all deemed laboratory accreditation organizations under CLIA. Only the 90 percent of CAP-accredited labs with CLIA numbers are subject to CMS validation inspections. If chosen, a laboratory gets about a week’s notice that CMS inspectors are planning to be on site to do a validation, says Amy Daniels, the Laboratory Accreditation Program’s senior manager of investigations.
Amplion’s BiomarkerBase™ Is Now the First and Only Biomarker Database to Include Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs)
“Laboratory-developed tests represent the segment of the testing market where most of the innovation has taken place over the last decade,” said John Audette, CEO of Amplion. “Being able to analyze biomarkers used in LDTs, alongside biomarkers in FDA-approved tests, drug labels, and clinical trials, is a capability our customers in biopharma and diagnostics have been requesting for some time.”  Having just completed indexing the test menu from one of the world’s largest diagnostic test providers, Amplion’s BiomarkerBase™ now gives strategic decision makers access to a vast portion of the biomarker market that has been practically inaccessible until now. “We knew the addition of LDT menus would expose the next level of innovation in clinical biomarker usage,” said Adam Carroll, PhD, CSO of Amplion, “but we didn’t expect the first test menu to add more than 1,000 new biomarkers.”

Laboratory Testing / Diagnostics

A Call for Extragenital STD Screening in Women
Screening women for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) and Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) only in their genitals may miss cases of these sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that occur elsewhere in their bodies, finds a new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers, published in Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Current guidelines recommend that only men who have sex with men (MSM) and those diagnosed with HIV be screened outside the genitals for these two STIs. There are no routine recommendations to screen women extragenitally for gonorrhea and chlamydia. “Most guidelines that address extragenital testing for GC [gonorrhea] and CT [chlamydia] have focused on MSM given the burden of these infections in that population. Among MSM who reported extragenital sexual exposures in our clinics, the prevalence of GC and CT was 3- to 8-fold higher than that in women,” the study authors wrote. “The prevalence of extragenital infections in women, however, was not insignificant.”
Fine-Tuning PSA Test Boosts Prediction of Aggressive Ca
Refinements to prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing, including the incorporation of genetic markers, may offer better precision in identifying patients at high risk for prostate cancer. Results from three studies that examined different approaches to prostate cancer screening were presented during a press briefing at the American Urological Association annual meeting. One study used multiple PSA markers while two others applied genetic markers to PSA. A multicenter evaluation of the Prostate Health Index (PHI) in biopsy-naive men revealed that the PHI had a higher specificity than total PSA and percent-free PSA alone for the detection of aggressive prostate cancer, said Martin Sanda, MD, of Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues. The PHI is a measurement of [-2]pro-PSA corrected for free PSA and total PSA, and is less influenced by the size of the prostate than is total PSA, the group explained.
Urinalysis More Sensitive in Young Infants Than Thought
Urinalysis (UA) in young infants with bacteremic urinary tract infection (UTI) is more sensitive than previous research suggested it was in infants with UTI in general, according to new research. "The 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics'...UTI guideline suggests that the diagnosis of UTI should require an abnormal UA in addition to a positive urine culture," write Alan R. Schroeder, MD, from the Department of Pediatrics, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California, and colleagues. "However, these guidelines do not include infants <2 months, and young infants with a negative UA and a positive urine culture are generally considered to have UTI." To better characterize the accuracy of UA, the authors examined UA and urine culture results in infants with bacteremic UTI. "Bacteremic UTI represent a unique and desirable condition in which to assess the sensitivity of the UA. Infection with the same organism in the blood and urine renders contamination or asymptomatic bacteriuria extremely unlikely, thereby minimizing the probability that the urine culture represents a false positive," the authors explain. They report their findings in an article published online May 25 and in the June issue of Pediatrics.
Urine Cytology Stain Detects Urothelial Carcinoma
A urine cytology stain accurately identifies urothelial carcinoma and may provide a non-invasive alternative to cystoscopy for bladder cancer surveillance, according to research presented at the 2015 American Urological Association meeting. In a blinded, multicenter study, investigators led by Ofer Yossepowitch, MD, of Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, tested the accuracy of Zetiq's CellDetect to distinguish malignant and benign cells by color staining. The plant-based stain targets the cytoplasm; green indicates benign cells and purple-red indicates cancer.
Free Testosterone May Help Diagnose Hypogonadism
Measuring free testosterone together with total testosterone may provide a more accurate picture than measuring total-testosterone levels alone when it comes to diagnosing deficiency of this male hormone, a new study indicates. There is concern that, under current clinical guidelines, some men are misdiagnosed with testosterone deficiency and receive inappropriate therapy, while others who should get treatment don't receive it, Dr Leen Antonio (University of Leuven, Belgium) explained when presenting her research in Dublin at the European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2015. "I think it would be preferable to use free testosterone rather than total testosterone to measure deficiency, especially in men who have borderline total-testosterone levels. Our results suggest that free testosterone is more informative than total testosterone," she told attendees.
Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio May Predict NMIBC Recurrence
Two new studies presented at the American Urological Association annual meeting suggest that an elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may predict a greater likelihood of tumor recurrence in patients who have undergone surgery for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Research and Development

Researchers Report Progress in Making All Blood Types Universally Accepted
Scientists are closing in on a way to transform any type of donated blood into type O, the universal blood type that can safely be given to any patient. Researchers have created a special enzyme that can shear off the substances on red blood cells that are responsible for potentially fatal immune reactions if a patient receives the wrong type of blood, according to a new study. The enzyme is not yet effective enough to allow for large-scale processing to convert type A or type B blood into type O, said lead author David Kwan, a postdoctoral fellow of chemistry at the University of British Columbia's Centre for Blood Research in Vancouver, Canada. "We're not there yet. This is really a step towards that," Kwan said. "The big thing is that we've shown that it's feasible to improve these enzymes." Results of the study were published online recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Blood Turned into Nerve Cells by Canadian Researchers
Canadian scientists have discovered how to turn a simple blood sample from a man or woman into a variety of nerve cells, including those that are responsible for pain, numbness and other sensations. The technology will allow researchers to test potential drugs for treating pain using the nerve cells in a lab, all based on an individual patient's own genetic signature, said Mick Bhatia, who led the team of researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton. "Now we can take easy to obtain blood samples and make the main cell types of neurological systems — the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system — in a dish that is specialized for each patient," said Bhatia, director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute. "Nobody has ever done this with adult blood, ever."
Prostate Cancer Gene Map Points Way to Targeted Drugs
Scientists have unveiled a comprehensive genetic map of advanced prostate cancer, hailing it as the disease's "Rosetta Stone". The study, published in the journal Cell, shows that nearly nine in 10 men had gene mutations that could be targeted with drugs. The study was led in the UK by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) London in collaboration with several teams in the United States. Researchers analysed the genetic codes of tumours from 150 patients with metastatic - or advanced - prostate cancer, whose disease had spread to other parts of the body. They found that 89% had genetic aberrations for which there were existing drugs or treatments undergoing clinical trials. Prof Johann de Bono, of the ICR and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust told the BBC: "This is truly a game-changer. We are calling this prostate cancer's Rosetta Stone, because we can now decode the disease for the first time. "In the past, we used to treat lethal prostate cancer as a single illness but this shows that it is a group of diseases, each driven by their own set of mutations." Prof de Bono said it meant that, using genetic testing, it would be possible to individualise patient care, heralding the arrival of personalised treatment for advanced prostate cancer. In the study, nearly two-thirds of the patients had mutations in a molecule that interacts with the male hormone androgen, which is targeted in current treatments. Scientists at the ICR believe this could open up new avenues for hormone therapy. Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes were found in nearly one in five patients.
Key Component in Protein That Causes Cystic fibrosis Identified
There currently is no cure for cystic fibrosis, but researchers from the University of Missouri have identified a key component in the protein that causes the genetic disease. It is a finding that may lay the foundation for the development of new medications and improved therapies. “We know that cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in a gene called CFTR, but we don’t know exactly how these mutations affect the function of the CFTR protein,” says Tzyh-Chang Hwang, PhD, lead author of the study. “In fact, there are nearly 2,000 mutations that could occur in the protein. However, our study identified two amino acids in the CFTR protein that serve as a sort of gate. This gate is a key factor in regulating the flow of chloride ions—one of the key ingredients in salt—into and out of the cells through the CFTR protein.”
Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers Found
UC San Diego researchers say they have found a potential new diagnostic for ovarian cancer, one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat. The discovery of six isoforms of messenger RNA specific to ovarian cancer could also lead to new therapies, the researchers say in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Christian L. Barrett was the study's first author; the senior author was Kelly A Frazer. Ovarian cancers typically don't show symptoms until well-established. While most respond to therapy at first, recurrences become progressively more difficult to treat. Scientists at UCSD School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center used bioinformatics to screen public genetic databases sponsored by the NIH, eventually finding six mRNA isoforms that were reliably present in 296 ovarian cancer samples but not present in 1,839 normal tissue samples. These molecules are specific enough to be used in a test for the early detection of ovarian cancer, the scientists said.
Scientists Are Using Herpes to Treat Skin Cancer — and It’s Working
In a few months’ time, those suffering from skin cancer may find an unlikely hero in their treatment regimen: herpes. A modified version of the Herpes simplex 1 virus (known for causing cold sores and some cases of genital herpes) called T-Vec has successfully been used to treat melanoma in a phase III clinical trial. That means it's just waiting for a final okay from the FDA before the Amgen product can hit the market. The results of the trial were published in Journal of Clinical Oncology. Here's how T-VEC works: It starts with the herpes virus, which is magnificent at proliferating itself within cells and then causing them to burst (that's where the cold sores come from). But T-VEC has had two key genes removed. These keep it from replicating within healthy cells, which can quickly spot it because of the missing genes.

Public Health and Patient Safety

New Hopkins Center to Focus on Lyme disease, Continuing Problems
Antibiotics have been so effective in wiping out all traces of Lyme disease infections that doctors haven't always believed people who said they still suffered for months or even years. .Many chafed at the idea of "chronic" Lyme disease because they believed patients no longer had it. But the scientific community has been coalescing around the idea that something is happening — that maybe the bacterial infection caused by tick bites is morphing into or triggering a new disease in some patients. Some estimate "post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome" affects as many as one in five who contracted the infection. Johns Hopkins researchers now plan to study the poorly understood, long-term problems in a newly formed center that could eventually provide answers and therapies to people who say they have few of either.
Mosquito Sex-Determining Gene Could Help Fight Dengue Fever
Researchers with the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech have identified a gene responsible for sex determination in mosquitoes that can transmit yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need blood for developing eggs, and researchers believe that a higher ratio of males could reduce disease transmission.
In a study published in the Science Express on May 21, the scientists identify a male-determining genetic switch called Nix in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that underlies the difference between males and females. These master switches often reside in genomic black holes, which is why none had been found in mosquitoes or other insects before. The study provides the foundation for developing mosquito control strategies by converting females into harmless males or selectively eliminating deadly females.
Blood Pressure Vaccine Shows Promise in Rats
Remembering to take your high blood pressure pills every day can be a burden, especially if you're juggling a list of other prescriptions. So what if, instead, you could receive a vaccination that would lower your blood pressure for months on end? Such a vaccine has proven effective in controlling high blood pressure in lab rats for up to six months, according to new research published May 26 in the journal Hypertension. The experimental DNA vaccine creates antibodies that target angiotensin II, a hormone that raises blood pressure by causing blood vessels to constrict, said co-author Dr. Hironori Nakagami, a professor at Osaka University in Japan. In that regard, the vaccine is similar to common ACE inhibitor blood pressure medications, which work by helping blood vessels relax and open up, the researchers said.
Baby Data: California Bill Seeks to Secure Newborns' DNA
Each year, more than 3 million babies are born in the United States, and each one undergoes genetic testing. In 32 states, however, the residual dried-blood sample from every newborn is retained – in some states, they even become government property. California, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas are just a few jurisdictions where genetic privacy has come to light -- but California is the only one where lawmakers are taking action. In only four states – California, Maine, Utah and Washington – do newborn blood samples become state property, according to an academic article on the topic (PDF). And in only California and Maine can a parent object to this in writing. In an interview with Government Technology, Gatto explained that the measure will ensure that parents are fully informed of their rights regarding their children’s dried blood spot samples. He added that the legislation doesn’t impact newborn medical screenings and the ability for doctors to test for major disorders.
FDA Approves Additional Antibacterial Treatment for Plague
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Avelox (moxifloxacin) to treat patients with plague, a rare and potentially fatal bacterial infection. The agency approval for plague includes use of the drug for the treatment of pneumonic plague (infection of the lungs), and septicemic plague (infection of the blood). Avelox is also approved for prevention of plague in adult patients. The FDA approved Avelox for plague under the agency’s Animal Efficacy Rule, which allows efficacy findings from adequate and well-controlled animal studies to be used in cases where it is not feasible or ethical to conduct trials in humans. Because plague is such a rare disease, it would not be possible to conduct adequate efficacy trials in humans.
A WHO Analysis on Antimicrobial Resistance
Even though many international organizations and ministries of health recognize antimicrobial resistance as an urgent problem, not all countries have developed a response plan to tackle this issue, according to results of a new survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO conducted a “country situation analysis” from 2013 to 2014 in order to figure out which nations use effective practices and structures to address antimicrobial resistance—and where gaps still need to be addressed. WHO surveyed countries in all six of its regions and looked at “building blocks” that are considered to be prerequisites to combat microbial resistance, which include having a comprehensive national plan, the laboratory capacity to undertake surveillance for resistant microorganisms, and access to safe and effective antimicrobial medicines, as well as control of the misuse of such medicines, awareness and understanding in the general public, and effective infection prevention and control programs.

Health IT

Private Sector Not Sharing as Much Cybersecurity Info as Feds Want, Experts Say
The federal government wants a better line of sight into cyber incidents and breaches within the commercial sector, but many American companies shy away from formally sharing such information with agencies, a panel of federal experts said at a May 20 forum in Washington, D.C. Convincing the private sector to share more information about cybersecurity incidents with the federal government will take trust building and a cooperative effort across all relevant agencies, the panel said at the ATARC Federal Cybersecurity Integration Summit.
FDA Must Make Smarter Use of Big Data
A bipartisan think tank is calling on Congress to enable the Food and Drug Administration to use hospital electronic health records and crowd-sourced patient experience data to transform the drug and medical device approval process. The Bipartisan Policy Center kicked off its five-point "FDA: Advancing Medical Innovation" initiative, focusing on the agency's role in biomedical research and how big data – currently siloed in healthcare IT systems and patient social networks – can improve personalized medicine, genomics, molecular pathways and other cutting-edge treatments.
Interstate Medical License Compact Becoming a Reality
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley may have helped advance the cause of telemedicine by signing a bill (PDF) that enters Alabama into an interstate compact that will make it easier for physicians to have licenses in multiple states. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton also signed his own state's bill. Seven states were needed to bring the compact to life, and Alabama and Minnesota joined Idaho, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming whose state legislatures had already passed bills to be on the compact roster. The states passed versions of model legislation drafted by the Federation of State Medical Boards, which has a policy stating that the practice of telemedicine occurs in the state where the patient—not the doctor—is located. The compact will help reduce redundant licensing requirements by creating one place where physicians submit basic information such as their education credentials. The policy has been criticized as a means to perpetuate state medical boards' authority since it fends off calls for a national license, but no one has put up a legal challenge. The American Medical Association endorsed the FSMB's interstate compact and said it “aligns with our efforts to modernize state medical licensure.”
Bill Would OK Telehealth Use by VA Healthcare Providers across State Lines
A new bill introduced by House lawmakers would allow health professionals working for the Department of Veterans Affairs to practice telemedicine across state borders. The legislation, The Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support Act of 2015, would amend a restriction that currently requires the physician and patient to be at federally owned facility in order for treatment to take place. The legislation allows vets to receive treatment anywhere, including at home or a community center, according to an announcement. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) and has 11 co-sponsors from both parties.
In-Person Consult Mandates Provide Hurdles to Telemedicine
New state laws could have a "chilling effect" on the adoption of telemedicine, according to an article published at Government Technology. It points specifically to the Texas Medical Board ruling in April that requires doctors to examine patients in person before being able to order prescriptions for them. Texas has joined Arkansas as the only two states with such requirements, according to the article.
10 Tips for Creating a Cybersecurity Program
With major data breaches making headline news on a near-weekly basis, the healthcare industry is increasingly focused on cybersecurity, as well it should be. In addition to working toward a culture of security wherein all employees are trained to spot and prevent attempted cyber-attacks, a strong program is an essential part of any long-term business strategy, and healthcare entities are not exempt. But where to begin? And how best to move forward? These 10 tips can help healthcare organizations establish such a program:
1. Create a strong, cross-sectional cybersecurity team
2. Conduct a “privacy survey,”
3. Perform risk analysis
4. Segregate sensitive data
5. Implement “privacy by design”
6. Manage vendors and scrutinize the adequacy
7. Engage in cybersecurity information sharing
8. Consider cybersecurity insurance
9. Develop an incident response plan
10. Develop a business continuity plan
Emily Westridge Black is an attorney in the Austin office of Haynes and Boone, LLP, and Chris Quinlan is an attorney in the Dallas office. Both specialize in data security, white-collar criminal defense, and the prosecution and defense of complex commercial litigation matters.
10 Questions to Ask Payers Today About ICD-10
There's more to communicating with healthcare payers than handing them a medical claim and saying, "Pay me." Creating better relationships with your payers before Oct. 1, in fact, enables providers to glean important insights about testing results, changes to reimbursement, how to handle denied claims. The first step is to survey healthcare payers to understand ICD-10 readiness by asking:
1. Are you prepared to meet the ICD-10 deadline of Oct. 1?
2. Where is your organization in the transition process?
3. Will you conduct external testing?
4. What will we need to test with you?
5. When will you be ready to accept test transactions from my practice?
6. Will you be dual processing, and if so, when will you start?
7. What will happen if something goes wrong?
8. Who will be my primary contact at your organization for the ICD-10 transition?
9. Can we set up regular check-in meetings to keep our progress on track?
10. Do you anticipate any changes in policies or delays in payments to result from the switch to ICD-10?
In return, providers should expect to communicate the status of your transition, establish regular check-ins, and be willing to share any information, particularly surprises, with your payers.

Other News

Physicians May Soon Say Goodbye to the Stethoscope, as Digital Devices Take Over the Job of Monitoring Patient Bodily Functions
Is technology poised to render the iconic stethoscope passé? For centuries, doctors have used stethoscopes for listening to functions in different parts of the body. However, new devices now exist that employ electronic biosensors to “listen” in on those same sounds and analyze them with computer algorithms. The devices then deliver assessments to attending physicians. The concept remains the same. Place a device against the body, listen for sounds, and use those sounds to identify a patient’s symptoms. Since the goal is to monitor sounds, it is not likely that “digital stethoscopes” will impinge on the clinical laboratory testing services provided by pathologists and medical laboratory scientists.
What the Healthcare Worker of the Future Will Look Like
As the industry continues to focus on value-based care, the way healthcare workers engage with patients will also change. This means many clinicians need training on how to treat patients based on their overall needs and not solely on their disease or condition. Today, nurses and doctors receive training on how to take care of patients' medical problems. But their education doesn't take into account psychosocial factors that influence a person's overall health--and recognizing those factors is necessary in order to treat patients under value-based care models, Jordan Asher, M.D., chief medical officer and chief integration officer at MissionPoint in Nashville, Tennessee, told FierceHealthcare during an exclusive interview.
It's All About Collaboration!
ASCLS strategic plan calls for us to collaborate with other clinical laboratory organizations to create and implement strategies to address the shortage of clinical laboratory professionals and educational programs. ASCLS is actively partnering with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) on continuing education offerings, and is working with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) to develop educational opportunities around the use of CSLI guidelines. ASCLS works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We have actively participated in deliberations of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC) which provides scientific and technical advice and guidance to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition, the Patient Safety Committee is currently helping the CDC Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) Initiative identify member workplaces that can help provide systematic, data¬ driven approaches that can be evaluated and recommended as best practices for the laboratory field.
Average Cost per Inpatient Day across 50 States
Here are average costs per inpatient day in 2013, organized by hospital ownership type, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the latest statistics from Kaiser State Health Facts.
Note: Data includes all operating and non-operating expenses for registered U.S. community hospitals, defined as public, nonfederal, short-term general and other special hospitals. These figures are not a substitute for either actual charges or reimbursement for care provided. They are an estimate of expenses incurred in a day of inpatient care and are adjusted higher to include an estimate of the volume of outpatient services.
United States 
  • State/local government hospitals — $1,878  
  • Nonprofit hospitals — $2,289          
  • For-profit hospitals — $1,791

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