Order management article: 360Dx. Currently, in September 2019, see a deep-dive article on test order management as a growth industry in themselves, by Adam Bonislawski at 360Dx. Article here. (360Dx is a sister journal to Genomeweb).
Payor controls article: CAP TODAY. There's also a must-read article on similar topics by Anne Paxton at CAP TODAY; September 2019, here. However, the main part of this blog pivots from Bonislawski's article at 360Dx.
Bonuses: See an article on the LBM industry in Health Affairs, October 2019, here. See an article on tighter ICD10 edits in 360Dx, here.
CONTROLLING AND GUIDING PHYSICIAN TEST ORDERS
Rather than focusing on traditional LBMs, which help payers institute prior authorization, claims editing, and denials, these new companies focus on EHR-based software that review and redirect test orders right during the physician's initial ordering process. Players include NDSC for its CareSelect Lab, and Medical Database Inc's Lab Decision System or LDS. See a new open-access publication on the value of LDS by Leblow et al. here. (Leblow et al. also has an up to date bibliography on hospital efforts to reduce lab overuse).
The 360Dx article also highlights a JAMA article using machine learning to cull low-value lab tests (Xu 2019, here), and discusses the Quest Lab Stewardship programs (here, here), which partner with vendor and AI company "hc1" (here). A later article highlighted LabCorp's informatics platform supported by vendor HealthEC for "analysis of health trends across communities" (here). (Biomerieux is also developing comprehensive intelligent software to integrate with hospitals (here).)
The lab management industry also builds on platforms developed for radiology medical necessity management (see the "AUC" or "Appropriate Use Criteria," required in the last couple years by CMS. This was created by PAMA 2014, the same omnibus Medicare adjustments law that created today's lab pricing rules.)
PRIOR AUTHORIZATION: BURDEN: CONGRESS
Only Here:
Collection of Links - and a House Hearing -
on Prior Authorization 2018/2019
In a separate "Notepad Blog," I've collected about 20 links. Not specific to the lab industry, I've collated OIG reports, letters to Congress, the AMA Prior Auth Website, and trade journal articles on abusive prior authorization processes.
I've also provided a ZIP file that collates all the documents from a House Small Business Committee hearing this week, including a full-length transcript of that hearing which describes four viewpoints on the high burdens placed on providers by prior auth systems.
See these links here.
Healthcare Dive article; providers loathe prior auth; here. Based on survey from Medical Group Management Association - here.
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Actual "word cloud" of Adam Bonislawski article:
https://www.wordclouds.com/