CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

Medical Economics and
Laboratory Equipment
CHAPTER 7
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, the reader will be able to:
• Describe the hierarchy of
administration of a modern
health care institution.
• Identify the medical consumer
and how he or she pays for
medical care.
• List some lifestyle factors that
contribute to poor health.
• Explain how a wholesome
lifestyle might help alleviate
the nation’s health care
crisis.
• Discuss the reason for and
the importance of reference
laboratories.
• List the key factors in
producing test results in the
laboratory.
• List the measures taken by
laboratories and entire health
care units for controlling
costs.
• Describe point-of-care testing
(POCT).
• List the major departments
within the medical laboratory
and their basic functions.
• List the equipment and basic
instrumentation of a hospital
laboratory.
• Describe the reasons that a
hospital laboratory would refer
a procedure to a reference
laboratory.
• List the importance of
cost-effectiveness and the
sending of samples to a
reference laboratory.
• Compare and contrast the
factors involved in evaluating
whether laboratory procedures
should be performed on an
automated system versus using
a manual procedure.
• Describe situations when
automation would be
advantageous.
• Relate the importance for
laboratory workers of understanding
the manual methodology of
routine procedures.
• Discuss factors that would be
important in choosing
automated systems.
KEY TERMS
Anticoagulated specimens
Assignment of health care benefi ts
Autoanalyzers
Biological safety cabinet
Breakeven point
Centrifuges
Cost centers
Financial management
Fume hood
Health care providers
Health care savings accounts (HSA)
Immunohematology
Lease-purchase
Lifestyle costs
Medicare and Medicaid
Point-of-care testing (POCT)
Preferred provider option (PPO)
Preceptor
Proficiency testing programs
Reference laboratories
Reimbursement
Rotor
Screening tests
Spectrophotometer
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