2017
Irwin Z. Rothenberg,
MBA, MS, CLS(ASCP)
is a Technical Writer
& Quality Advisor for
COLA Resources, Inc.
LabOratory
Educating Patients About Their Lab Tests
By Irwin Z. Rothenberg, MBA, MS, CLS(ASCP)
The healthcare profession, as with every other societal
institution, is changing with the times. Technological advances
have changed how we diagnose, treat, monitor, and manage
disease; political and social forces have changed how these
services are regulated and reimbursed, and all three have
influenced how these services are delivered. The laboratory
profession reflects these changes as well.
An estimated 7-10 billion laboratory tests are performed
each year in the United States, and laboratory test results
influence approximately 70% of medical decisions. Yet the
importance of lab tests reaches much further. They enable
physicians and patients to:
• Identify disease and begin treatment earlier than ever before
• Detect and diagnose diseases before symptoms occur
• Individualize care to meet the unique needs of the
individual patient
• Identify health threats before infection spreads
• Employ preventive strategies that reduce the need for invasive care
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• Monitor patient progress and adjust treatments accordingly
• Foster cost-savings and greater productivity in health delivery
The impact of personalized medicine
The evolving field of personalized medicine -- defined as the
tailoring of medical treatment to the individual characteristics of
each patient – is profoundly impacting all stages of patient care,
including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow up. This
approach relies on understanding how a person’s unique molecular
and genetic profile makes them susceptible to certain diseases.
Scientists advanced the cause of personalized medicine with the
decoding of the human genome, the genetic map of the body.
Consequently, this allows medical providers to:
• Shift the emphasis in medicine to prevention and prediction
of disease rather than reaction to it;
• Focus on susceptibility to disease, improve disease detection,
preempt disease progression;
• Ability to make more informed medical decisions; earlier
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