[Medical reimbursement for the management of laboratory testing and a 24-hour system for microbiological testing]

In recent years, annual revenues of hospitals in Japan for their health care services have been declining because of the frequent downward revisions of the reimbursement rates to curb growth in national medical spending, exerting a marked influence on the area of laboratory testing. Particularly, unprofitable microbiological testing has been neglected. However, microbiological laboratory testing is not only essential for the diagnosis and treatment of infections, but also plays an important role in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. The Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine has been involved in various activities to help clinical laboratories in hospitals ensure stable health care revenues from their practice, as well as improve the status of clinical laboratory physicians. In response to recent changes in clinical laboratory settings, we will hold a symposium to develop and improve a 24-hour system for microbiological testing.