HEALTH NOTES

“LABORATORY TESTS CAN BE VERY PROFITABLE”

PART VI

The other issue we must look at relative to this laboratory billing practice is the accuracy of the test results. Understanding that these off site labs are attempting to do a voluminous business with multiple doctors’ offices from various states. One such pathologist employed by one of the labs recently left stating that her daily volume far exceeded the generally accepted workload in her specialty and directly affected the quality of patient care. She went on to state that she quit her job from “fatigue.” So, the flip side to the whole operation and another even stronger concern beyond the health care cost issue is the quality of care issue. Are these patients receiving accurate and appropriate testing? Secondly, are they receiving accurate analysis of the tests, or are the tests being blown through a laboratory “mill,” and coming out the other end with haphazard results?

One such laboratory in California was investigated in 1989 by state officials according to this Wall Street Journal article. They accused the lab of operating “in a manner which poses a threat of injury to public health.” These state officials noted that the lab had an error rate of 21.2%. This is a ridiculously high error rate considering the fact that these tests being performed are going back to individual patients and their physicians who are making treatment plans based on these diagnostic tests. How would you feel if a breast biopsy that was performed on you or your wife came back positive, and your wife had a mastectomy, when in fact, the test result was negative unbeknownst to you or your doctor. These are the things that we must guard against. These are the things that you must be aware of.

Next time you have a laboratory test done in your doctors’ office, whether it be blood drawn or a tissue sample taken, don’t feel that it is inappropriate to ask where the testing will be performed. If your tests are being performed in the hospital, for example, if a biopsy is taken in the hospital, or blood is drawn in the hospital, chances are that the hospital pathology department is performing the test. Sometimes smaller hospitals must send certain tests out to other facilities; however, chances are that the hospital is using a qualified facility. If the testing is being performed in your doctor’s office, you may wish to check to see where the tests are being sent to be performed.

Remember, as I’ve told you many times over the years in my articles, it is your body. You must take responsibility for it, and you must be willing to ask questions. Don’t ever feel that you are stepping on toes when you ask questions of your physician. He or she is not the one that will suffer if a mistake is made. You will!