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R. Lewis Dark:
Like Lab Medicine, THE DARK REPORT is Changing
ANY
PATHOLOGIST OR LABORATORY ADMINISTRATOR who believes there is a
status quo in laboratory medicine is ignoring plenty of evidence
to the contrary in the healthcare marketplace.
Radical evolution is altering the health insurance industry, for
the second time in almost 20 years. The Internet and new technologies
in computer hardware and software enable the American healthcare
system to capture even more information in real time and feed it
to clinicians, patients, and payers in ways that benefit everyone.
Rapid advances in genetic science are another source of important
changes that affect the pathology profession and the laboratory
industry.
For our clients and regular readers, this is old news. Over the
past 11 years, THE DARK REPORT has regularly been among the first
to alert them to an unfolding trend, to inform them about a breakthrough
in laboratory management, or offer them useful analysis about an
under-reported story of significance.
As yesterday's status quo melts into tomorrow's brave new world,
THE DARK REPORT must evolve and change so it can continue to serve
you with timely business intelligence and useful management knowledge.
That is the reason we launched the DARK Daily earlier this month.
This is a daily e-briefing delivered directly to our member's e-mail
address. Short, concise, and to the point, it is a new channel for
us to bring you news and management wisdom, by using new Internet
technologies.
Like you, we don't claim to understand how the dot-com
world operates. Also like you, we recognize that growing numbers
of consumers are using the Web as a primary channel for commerce,
information, and communication. We do recognize that many of you
are turning to the Web as your primary channel for information,
to conduct business, and to communicate with others.
That is why we are changing our status quo. DARK Daily is our first
step to serve those of you who are "Web savvy." It will
evolve and improve over time, utilizing your comments and suggestions.
To check it out and become a member, just go to www.darkdaily.com.
I also encourage you to let us know how you like it—and any
ideas you have to make it better!
Increased
Competition For Hospital Lab Referrals
It’s
getting tougher for national reference labs to win new clients and
expand market share
CEO
SUMMARY: It’s a buyer’s market for hospital send-out
testing because the supply of such tests exceeds demand.
To fill excess capacity in their labs, some reference/esoteric
lab companies are willing to offer rock-bottom prices to
new clients. This situation is also motivating national lab
companies to develop and offer additional services to
clients as a way to differentiate themselves.
Dark
Index: Buyer of MDS' Canadian Labs Agrees to Pay C$ 900 Million
Sale
allows MDS to exit the lab testing market, aggressive bidding pushed
the price to high levels
Some
Random Insights About LabCorp’s Thinking
LabCorp’s
new CEO and executive team offer perspectives on lab industry trendss
CEO
SUMMARY: Having scooped up a number of mid-sized
laboratory companies in recent years, Laboratory
Corporation of America is working to integrate these operations
and continue to expand its market share. In a recent
conversation with financial analyst Bill Bonnello of
Wachovia Securities, LabCorp executives discussed a variety
of topics and trends in the laboratory testing market.
Middleware
Produces Data In Real Time for Lab Managers
GUIDES
MANAGEMENT GUIDES MANAGEMENT DECISIONS
CEO
SUMMARY: With sustained pressure on laboratories to cut costs, reduce
errors, and raise quality, lab managers need faster access to detailed
information about lab work processes. One solution is to use middleware
to collect data in real time from the LIS and other sources, then
analyze it to identify problems and opportunities for improvement.
Three laboratories which implemented a middleware real time decision
support system
credit it for major gains in productivity and quality.
Healthcare
Strategies: Walk-In Clinics in Retail Stores Is Hot New Healthcare
Trend
CVS
Pharmacy chain buys MinuteClinic for an estimated price of $170
million
INTELLIGENCE: Late & Latent
FDA
ISSUES GUIDANCE ON MOLECULAR TEST APPROVALS
CYTYC
BIDS FOR VISION | 
