Drawing Insights from Lab Data Can Improve Patient Health and Health System Results

Aging populations, tight budgets, reimbursement pressures, the growth of chronic diseases – these are among the many challenges facing health system leaders today. Big data is poised to help health systems tackle these challenges, but much of a hospital’s most valuable data goes untapped.

Nearly 70% of critical clinical decisions rely on lab data.¹ Tapping into patient diagnostic data can help clinicians and administrators improve their ability to deliver the best care possible for patients in the most efficient way.

Several health systems are leading the way in using their lab data to find new breakthroughs in patient care. Applying algorithms to data can yield insights that could assist in early disease diagnosis, monitor care compliance more closely and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of health care services.² The insights can then help health systems better understand and manage chronic conditions with proactive, preventive care. Leveraging lab data in the right way can also help to improve patient outcomes, reduce waste, and help health systems succeed under new regulatory and payment models.³

The fact is, by transforming data into powerful insights, labs are poised to be powerful partners in transforming care delivery and in positioning health systems for long-term success.

Labs provide more than just test results. They provide critical information to help providers make treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes.

For instance, we at Abbott work with a number of health systems around the world to optimize their lab data streams into actionable, patient centric clinical insights. By leveraging these sources of data, regardless of their origin or if they are siloed, labs can produce intelligence that helps administrators make decisions – from improving operational efficiencies to developing best practices in lab outreach strategies that support the entire continuum of care.

Lab data can also identify opportunities to standardize protocols for medical care, which can reduce length of stay, medical errors and readmissions. By optimizing protocols, labs are able to provide more efficient and appropriate testing – which, in turn, reduces excess or duplicative testing. It also has the potential to assist clinicians in early disease diagnosis, more effectively monitor disease progression, recommend preventive services for at-risk patients, and better manage those with chronic diseases.⁴

For example, a hospital could use its lab and clinical data to identify potential at-risk co-morbidities within patients with renal, thyroid, diabetes, anemia and lipid disease and provide clinicians with recommendations for follow-up testing and treatment. A pilot study using a clinical decision support system found that one hospital was able to identify previously unappreciated comorbidities in nearly 14% of patient cases.⁵

Each health system ecosystem is unique, from the type of data collected in the lab to the specific psychosocial make-up of the patient population they serve. Taking an individualized approach to data management at that institution can help better forecast outcomes in patient populations that are underserved or overserved; look at longitudinal patient data to improve the health of the population; and provide a holistic view of a patient to assist doctors in major care decisions and determine the appropriate diagnostic testing recommendations.

Healthcare administrators also can identify operational pain points specific to the hospital. For example, Abbott’s AlinIQ Integrated Platform gathers data from a variety of sources – including medical and lab data and, over time, financial and human resources data. This allows laboratory clinicians, for instance, to determine how they will work more efficiently in an era when fewer people are entering the lab profession while the volume of testing continues to increase.⁶

To succeed in today’s health care environment, health systems need to draw insights from their data. Lab data is a rich source of insights that when combined with best practice guidelines and trends, can help deliver not only improved patient care but also better business results.
 

To learn more, visit www.abbott.com.