decisionhealth Newsletters, Coder Pink Sheets - 2020 Issue 3 (March)
Why do-it-yourself lab tests don’t spell doom for practices’ revenue streams
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Article Overview
This article looks at the growing use of do-it-yourself and at-home lab tests and discusses how that trend may affect medical offices, clinical laboratories, and patient decision-making. It also summarizes perspectives from clinical experts and health organizations on the reliability and limitations of self-testing, and it includes brief coding-related references relevant to lab collection and selected encounter coding examples. The piece is aimed at coding professionals, clinical laboratory stakeholders, and practice staff who want to understand the business and documentation implications of home testing.
Why This Topic Matters
As self-testing becomes more common, practices and laboratories need to understand how it may affect testing volume, follow-up visits, and coding workflows. The article helps readers evaluate the business context and the broad documentation issues that can arise when patients bring outside test results to providers.
Article Sections
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DIY testing causing confusion
This section discusses concerns about at-home testing, patient interpretation of results, and the role of clinical laboratories and physicians in follow-up care. It also references general perspectives from professional organizations and consumer guidance.
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Support patients when self-testing
This section reviews public and organizational viewpoints on home testing, patient access, and trust in test reliability. It also introduces coding-related references tied to blood collection and selected encounter coding examples.
What You Will Learn
- How the article frames the growth of at-home and direct-to-consumer lab testing
- Why self-testing may increase follow-up visits and additional testing
- What broad concerns organizations raise about home-test reliability and interpretation
- How the article connects home testing trends to basic coding and documentation considerations
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Biller/office staff
- Clinical laboratory professionals
- Physician practice managers
- Healthcare compliance staff
Codes Discussed
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