Innovation in Laboratory Medicine

Innovation in Laboratory Medicine

Carlos Lemos (Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
Copyright: © 2019 |Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-7265-7.ch007

Abstract

Laboratory medicine has a unique capability to evaluate the correct management of a medical test, its results, and the decisions it can determine. Therefore, laboratory medicine should try to improve patient outcomes, while improving quality and productivity, so that innovation in healthcare may proceed. Innovation in laboratory medicine demands an adequate identification of the unmet clinical need, evidence of clinical and cost-effectiveness of laboratory tests, and a managed implementation that takes into account the process change, appropriate resource management, and monitoring of outcomes. The main objectives of this chapter are to elucidate the role of innovation in laboratory medicine, identifying its main issues and the barriers it faces; to define a value proposition for laboratory tests and to point out several outcome measures that can be adopted in laboratory medicine.
Chapter Preview
Top

Innovation In Healthcare

Innovation has been generally defined as “…the intentional introduction and application within a role, group, or organization, of ideas, processes, products or procedures, new to the relevant unit of adoption and designed to significantly benefit the individual, the group, or wider society…” (Price & St. John, 2014). Innovation in healthcare undergoes invention, adoption and diffusion, this one is related with the facilitation and widespread adoption of the new test or device (Price, 2012). In order to innovation take place in healthcare, there has to be the identification of an unmet need, the determination of the effectiveness of a certain process, the application of the evidence-based knowledge at the time, and an audition to the application in the field. There are several drivers that impact on success of the innovation including process quality, effectiveness, efficiency, patient aspiration, the change observed in the care pathway and the impact on the stakeholders involved in healthcare delivery, as their flexibility to change (Omachonu & Einspruch, 2010).

Complete Chapter List

Search this Book:
Reset