technologies. He says automation of lab processes has “really saved” his lab during the pandemic, and encourages others to do the same, stating: “If you don’t think you can afford it, you can.” “Front-end automation, no reagent preparation, minimum number of calibrations, and quality control, middleware, and automated storage and retrieval can help labs address staffing challenges,” said Fantz. “But labs aren’t commodities. Behind every test, is a patient and behind every test result, is a laboratorian. Together, operational efficiencies, quality instruments and assays coupled with digital solutions and dedicated laboratory professionals deliver the highest quality patient care.”
Diversify suppliers
“They say be loyal to your main distributor, but at the same time I have had to buy things from anybody and everybody to keep the lab running,” said Schroeder. “You have to be loyal but also think outside the box.” Schroeder recommends leveraging existing re- lationships with distributors and manufacturers, but at the same time, exploring new partnerships. He says when a lab is facing supply shortages, it can be hard to establish a new relationship with a
distributor or manufacturer in the moment. Instead, he suggests labs be proactive and place orders with various suppliers on a regular basis. That way, those suppliers will be there when the lab needs them.
Secure RCM support
O’Neill says revenue cycle management (RCM) is a top concern and challenge among Advanced Data System’s lab clients. Staff shortages make it harder to manually process billing and keep up with payers’ changing requirements. He sees more labs engaging with RCM service providers to perform these tasks on their behalf. “The comments we are hearing from customers are number one staffing shortages, then the lack of system integration, and lack of experience with regards to correct panel coding and keeping up with regulatory changes with the insurance com- panies,” said O’Neill. “In the past year, we have had a 37% increase in customers requesting RCM service versus licensing our product to do their own billing in house.”
REFERENCES
1. Reimbursement & Coverage, American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA),
https://www.acla.com/reimbursement-coverage/
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