colLABoration: The Orchard Software Blog

Healthcare’s shift to focus on patient outcomes and quality requires laboratory professionals to step up their game and make sure their labs provide value in the new system’s parameters. Laboratory stewardship refers to taking ownership of your lab’s contribution to patient care from top to bottom. One of the cornerstones of laboratory stewardship, and something lab professionals can directly impact, is guiding better test utilization.

​Focusing on a broader scope of laboratory stewardship and becoming cognizant of the value of the laboratory’s contribution in addition to quality lab result reporting requires a culture change. We all acknowledge that change is often difficult yet, the laboratories that will thrive in a value-based healthcare system must be aware of the changes and be nimble enough to shift their thinking to consider the lab’s contribution on a bigger scale. 

​As our healthcare system continues transitioning to value-based care, laboratory professionals are encouraged to find their place in supporting proactive care models. This change means focusing on a broader scope of laboratory stewardship and being aware of the value of the laboratory’s contribution in addition to quality lab result reporting. 

Changes within the U.S. healthcare system are pressuring laboratory professionals to focus on the broader scope of laboratory stewardship and become cognizant of the value of the laboratory’s overall contribution in addition to quality lab result reporting. Laboratories are encouraged to find new ways to contribute in a value-based, patient-centered healthcare system, broadening their impact, and proving their worth within their organization.