Date of Award

7-16-2025

Document Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences (MSMLS)

Department

Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences

First Advisor

Karen Reiner

Abstract

Abstract

In the article “The Future of Laboratory Medicine Understanding the New Pressures," author Mauro Panteghini expresses that the clinical laboratory has always undergone significant changes due to technological advances and external economic pressures. “Laboratories are indeed an easy target for economic restrictions and limitations due to their technological characteristics.” (Panteghini, 2004, pg. 205) Though these words were written over 20 years ago, no more valid words have been spoken in light of the newest pressure all laboratories face with the new LDT regulation set by the FDA.

This regulation places drastic economic pressure on laboratories to pay the FDA for laboratory-developed tests that vendors have not defined or submitted initially. It is essentially coercing laboratories to decide what tests are deemed “unmet needs” and what tests can be discontinued to avoid having to pay fees to develop package inserts for tests established by these labs and considered helpful by the FDA for continued use for patient testing. It feels like a revenue-generating scheme by the FDA that forces labs to either quit the innovative approach for testing solutions they have provided for years or pay the mandatory fines to continue testing. This will be an economic strain on many hospital labs, proving detrimental to all stakeholders.

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