Clinical Chemistry Link to Randox Laboratories Web Site
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Clinical Chemistry 39: 1780-1787, 1993;
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an electronic Letter to
the Editor about this paper
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Benge, H.
Right arrow Articles by Parl, F. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Benge, H.
Right arrow Articles by Parl, F. F.

Clinical Chemistry, Vol 39, 1780-1787, Copyright © 1993 by American Association for Clinical Chemistry

A 10-year analysis of "revenues," costs, staffing, and workload in an academic medical center clinical chemistry laboratory

H Benge, G Csako and FF Parl
Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232.

From 1980 to 1990 we found progressive increases in workload (number of billable tests; 12.1% per year), staffing [number of full-time equivalents (FTEs); 5.6% per year], "revenues" (gross billings; 25.8% per year), and direct cost (12.9% per year) in the clinical chemistry laboratory of a large tertiary-care university medical center. The increase in direct cost was mainly attributable to an increase in salary cost (23.7% per year), whereas the impact of increasing "consumable" cost was relatively small (5.3% per year). In fact, after adjustment for inflation, the consumable cost was virtually unchanged or decreased during the 10-year study period. Initially, consumables represented about 60% of the direct cost, and the remaining 40% was for salaries. After 1982/83, however, the relative contribution of consumables and salaries to direct cost gradually reversed. Because the workload grew at a higher rate than staffing, the workload per FTE increased from 1980 to 1990. This was paralleled by gradual increases in both "revenue" per FTE and salary per FTE in actual dollars, but by lesser increases to no increases in inflation-corrected dollars. After adjusting for inflation with different indices, the direct cost per test, the consumable cost per test, and the salary cost per test either remained unchanged or decreased in the 1980s. The findings are discussed in the context of technical advancements in laboratory testing, nationwide shortages of medical technologists, and implementation of prospective fixed-fee reimbursement practices during the study period.


The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:


Home page
 J. Clin. Pathol.Home page
Y Takemura and J R Beck
Laboratory testing under managed care dominance in the USA
J. Clin. Pathol., February 1, 2001; 54(2): 89 - 95.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 American Journal of Medical QualityHome page
M. T. Halpern, C. S. Palmer, K. N. Simpson, F. D. Chesley, B. R. Luce, J. P. Suyderhoud, B. V. Neibauer, and F. G. Estafanous
The Economic and Clinical Efficiency of Point-of-Care Testing for Critically Ill Patients: A Decision-Analysis Model
American Journal of Medical Quality, March 1, 1998; 13(1): 3 - 12.
[Abstract] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1993 by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.