Integrating lab results with other sources of data, such as claims and other contextual, clinical patient health information, has the potential to significantly increase the data’s usefulness with regard to decision-support and care management improvement, and performance and population health management. Such integration could allow for better care planning and management, and produce useful feedback for physicians to improve care. Additionally, payers could be better able to incentivize high-quality, cost-efficient care if information on intermediate outcomes, such as lab results, were available electronically.

The Engelberg Center recently convened a panel of key stakeholder experts – representing physicians, payers, health IT vendors, laboratory vendors, policy makers, regulators, and academics – to develop recommendations for overcoming key barriers and challenges to the collection and integration of electronic lab data through practical and replicable solutions. Panel members were asked to identify specific solutions and recommendations for overcoming regulatory, technical, and financial obstacles in making electronic lab data available and accessible to support care decisions and coordination, as well as to support secondary uses, including performance measurement and reporting.

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Expert Panel Members

Scott Endsley, MD - Cleveland Clinic (Co-chair)

Mark Frisse, MD - Vanderbilt University (Co-chair)

Fred Bloom, MD, MMM - Geisinger Health System

James Coates, MD - Aetna, Inc.

Sarah Corley, MD - NexGen

Floyd Eisenberg, MD - National Quality Forum

Benjamin Littenerg, MD - University of Vermont

Elissa Passiment, MEd - American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science

Wes Rishel - Gartner

Eric Rose, MD - McKesson Physician Practice Solutions

Walt Sujansky, MD, PhD - Sujansky and Associates, LLC

Judith Yost - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Sheila Roman, MD - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Charles Kennedy, MD - Wellpoint

Bob Steffel - HealthBridge HIE

Donald Horton - LabCorp

David Dexter - Sonora Quest Laboratories

Keith Michl, MD, FACP - American College of Physicians

Cathie Markow - CCHRI

Doug Allen, MD - CareMore Medical Group

James Rosenzweig, MD - Boston University School of Medicine

Michael Painter, JD, MD - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation