Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025
11:06
Identifying DNA Mutations in Purified Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells
Published on: February 24, 2014
13.1K
Pathologist Pediatric In-Patient Genetic Stewardship
Randall Craver1,2,3,4
1Children's Hospital of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Fetal and Pediatric Pathology
|October 3, 2023
Summary
Hospital inpatient genetic testing costs were reduced by 40% through prior review. Strategies included deferring tests, using alternative labs, and identifying sponsored tests, improving cost-effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Genetics
- Health Economics
- Laboratory Medicine
Background:
- High costs associated with inpatient sendout genetic testing billed to hospitals.
- Extended turnaround times for genetic tests often exceed patient hospitalization duration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a proactive review process on inpatient sendout genetic testing costs and efficiency.
- To identify strategies for reducing healthcare expenditure on genetic diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Concurrent review of inpatient sendout genetic test requests over 18 months.
- Deferral of tests feasible as outpatient, redirection to lower-cost labs, and identification of sponsored tests.
Main Results:
- A 42.3% cost saving was achieved through test review and redirection.
- 18.8% of sent tests identified an explanatory genetic abnormality, indicating diagnostic yield.
- Approximately 40% of total sendout genetic testing costs were reduced.
Conclusions:
- Proactive review of inpatient genetic testing significantly reduces costs.
- Strategies like deferment, alternative laboratory utilization, and sponsored testing are effective cost-saving measures.
- Diagnostic efficiency for inpatient genetic testing was approximately 20%.
