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Do diagnostic pathways contribute to the economic improvement of a hospital? Considerations from the perspective of laboratory medicine1)

  • Johannes Aufenanger
Published/Copyright: January 1, 2011
LaboratoriumsMedizin
From the journal LaboratoriumsMedizin Volume 35 Issue 5

Abstract

Diagnostic pathways in the field of laboratory medicine could contribute economically to integrate modern “disease management” from the perspective of healthcare policy into a complex development with limited resources. The objective is to bridge the gap between medical and economic demand. Diagnostic pathways could be an innovative way to optimise processes in medicine with the objective of transparency of costs, results and performance, especially if technical prerequisites for web-based communication (i.e., order entry, digitised laboratory analysed findings) are given. The precondition is that laboratory diagnostics must be appreciated as a core procedure of a hospital. Furthermore, diagnostic pathways provide the opportunity to define processes concerning disease severity and rate of resource usage. The pathways support the physician by finding the probable or medically worthwhile primary and secondary diagnosis for coding the DRG (Diagnoses Related Groups). This results in guaranteeing revenues and an increase in the quality of therapy. The very visualisation of medical decisions by diagnostic pathways results in the reduction of ill-conceived activities and consequently in an improvement of health economics.

Keywords: diagnostic pathways; disease management; DRG (Diagnoses Related Groups); health economy; laboratory management; laboratory medicine
Correspondence: Prof. Dr. Johannes Aufenanger, Klinikum Ingolstadt GmbH, Krumenauerstrasse 25, 85049 Ingolstadt, Germany Tel.: +841/8 80-2900 Fax: +841/8 80-2909
Published Online: 2011

©2011 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Editorial/Leitartikel
  2. Molekulargenetische und zytogenetische Diagnostik
  3. Molekulargenetitsche und zytogenetische Diagnostik/Molecular-Genetic and Cytogenetic Diagnostics
  4. Implikationen des Gendiagnostikgesetzes (GenDG) für die Laboratoriumsmedizin/Implications of the German Human Genetic Examination Act on laboratory medicine
  5. Implications of the German Human Genetic Examination Act on laboratory medicine1),2),3)
  6. Praktische Umsetzung des Gendiagnostikgesetzes (GenDG) in der Laboratoriumsmedizin, dem humangenetischen Laboratorium und der humangenetischen Beratung/Practical Implications of the German Genetic Diagnostics Act (GenDG) for Laboratory Medicine, the Human Genetics Laboratory and for Genetic Counseling
  7. Practical implementation of the German Genetic Diagnostics Act (GenDG) in Laboratory Medicine, the Human Genetics Laboratory and Genetic Counselling1)
  8. Die Gendiagnostikkommission (GEKO), ein Instrument mit Richtlinienkompetenz/The German Gene Diagnostics Commission (GEKO): an instrument with guideline competence
  9. Gastkommentar Gendiagnostikgesetz (GenDG) und Patientenversorgung/Law for Genetic Diagnostic-Procedures (GenDG) in Germany: Guest Editorial
  10. Hämatologie/Hematology
  11. Lymphozytenmorphologie im Blutausstrich – Vorstellung einer überarbeiteten Nomenklatur und Systematik/Lymphocyte morphology in the peripheral blood film: proposal of a revised nomenclature and systematics
  12. 10.1515/JLM.2011.037et
  13. Die Bestimmung der freien Leichtketten (FreeliteTM) und der Immunglobulin-Kappa/Lambda-Subtypen (HevyliteTM) in der Diagnostik von Plasmazell-Erkrankungen/Serum free light chain and heavy/light chain analysis in patients with monoclonal gammopathy
  14. Labormanagement/Laboratory Management
  15. Wissensmanagement im Labor oder wie man Wissen erfolgreich als Ressource nutzt/Knowledge management in the laboratory or how knowledge can successfully be used as a resource
  16. 10.1515/jlm.2011.040et
  17. Helfen diagnostische Pfade das ökonomische Ergebnis eines Krankenhauses zu verbessern? Eine Betrachtung aus Sicht der Laboratoriumsmedizin/Do diagnostic pathways contribute to economic improvement of a hospital? Considerations from the perspective of laboratory medicine
  18. Do diagnostic pathways contribute to the economic improvement of a hospital? Considerations from the perspective of laboratory medicine1)
  19. Kongressbericht/Congress Report
  20. Die Entwicklung der Klinischen Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin des 20. Jahrhunderts am Beispiel des Klinikums Mannheim/Development of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in the 20th Century. The University Hospital Mannheim as an Example
  21. Jahrestagungsbericht/Annual Meeting Report
  22. Die Molekulare Diagnostik wird erwachsen: Bericht über die Zehnte Jahrestagung der Sektion Molekulare Diagnostik der DGKL in Tutzing/Molecular diagnostics comes of age: the 10th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Diagnostics Section of the German Society of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
  23. Buchbesprechung/Book Review
  24. Clinical Laboratory Investigation and Psychiatry A practical handbook
  25. Ankündigung/Announcement
  26. Ankündigung/Announcement
https://doi.org/10.1515/jlm.2011.041et
Keywords for this article
diagnostic pathways; disease management; DRG (Diagnoses Related Groups); health economy; laboratory management; laboratory medicine

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Editorial/Leitartikel
  2. Molekulargenetische und zytogenetische Diagnostik
  3. Molekulargenetitsche und zytogenetische Diagnostik/Molecular-Genetic and Cytogenetic Diagnostics
  4. Implikationen des Gendiagnostikgesetzes (GenDG) für die Laboratoriumsmedizin/Implications of the German Human Genetic Examination Act on laboratory medicine
  5. Implications of the German Human Genetic Examination Act on laboratory medicine1),2),3)
  6. Praktische Umsetzung des Gendiagnostikgesetzes (GenDG) in der Laboratoriumsmedizin, dem humangenetischen Laboratorium und der humangenetischen Beratung/Practical Implications of the German Genetic Diagnostics Act (GenDG) for Laboratory Medicine, the Human Genetics Laboratory and for Genetic Counseling
  7. Practical implementation of the German Genetic Diagnostics Act (GenDG) in Laboratory Medicine, the Human Genetics Laboratory and Genetic Counselling1)
  8. Die Gendiagnostikkommission (GEKO), ein Instrument mit Richtlinienkompetenz/The German Gene Diagnostics Commission (GEKO): an instrument with guideline competence
  9. Gastkommentar Gendiagnostikgesetz (GenDG) und Patientenversorgung/Law for Genetic Diagnostic-Procedures (GenDG) in Germany: Guest Editorial
  10. Hämatologie/Hematology
  11. Lymphozytenmorphologie im Blutausstrich – Vorstellung einer überarbeiteten Nomenklatur und Systematik/Lymphocyte morphology in the peripheral blood film: proposal of a revised nomenclature and systematics
  12. 10.1515/JLM.2011.037et
  13. Die Bestimmung der freien Leichtketten (FreeliteTM) und der Immunglobulin-Kappa/Lambda-Subtypen (HevyliteTM) in der Diagnostik von Plasmazell-Erkrankungen/Serum free light chain and heavy/light chain analysis in patients with monoclonal gammopathy
  14. Labormanagement/Laboratory Management
  15. Wissensmanagement im Labor oder wie man Wissen erfolgreich als Ressource nutzt/Knowledge management in the laboratory or how knowledge can successfully be used as a resource
  16. 10.1515/jlm.2011.040et
  17. Helfen diagnostische Pfade das ökonomische Ergebnis eines Krankenhauses zu verbessern? Eine Betrachtung aus Sicht der Laboratoriumsmedizin/Do diagnostic pathways contribute to economic improvement of a hospital? Considerations from the perspective of laboratory medicine
  18. Do diagnostic pathways contribute to the economic improvement of a hospital? Considerations from the perspective of laboratory medicine1)
  19. Kongressbericht/Congress Report
  20. Die Entwicklung der Klinischen Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin des 20. Jahrhunderts am Beispiel des Klinikums Mannheim/Development of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in the 20th Century. The University Hospital Mannheim as an Example
  21. Jahrestagungsbericht/Annual Meeting Report
  22. Die Molekulare Diagnostik wird erwachsen: Bericht über die Zehnte Jahrestagung der Sektion Molekulare Diagnostik der DGKL in Tutzing/Molecular diagnostics comes of age: the 10th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Diagnostics Section of the German Society of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
  23. Buchbesprechung/Book Review
  24. Clinical Laboratory Investigation and Psychiatry A practical handbook
  25. Ankündigung/Announcement
  26. Ankündigung/Announcement
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