Richard Hosking wrote: > Patient > cost > lack of access - having a collection centre in the surgery is a > powerful way of increasing test rates, which is why the licenses > are so carefully rationed and so sought after by the path companies
Richard how do you mean licenses are carefully rationed and sought after by the path companies precisely? Its easier than its ever been to get an ACC at present. The path companies dont go looking under rocks for them. They are a set number each pathologist is entitled to each year. I believe they get pooled, they are a tradeable item and once running a collection centres viability depends on performance. Where those licenses get put is a commercial decision and it costs a lot of money per year to run one. (typically based on number of drs in the practice and current referral pattern). I dont think the mentality of putting a license in to a surgery is that it will result in increased test rates (it might and in some cases i expect it does but thats not the prime case. and surely in an area where there is a long travel time to get a blood test it must, but for the majority of sites its usefullness is really to have people use firm X because of convenience rather than travel 5 mins to firm Y not order more tests cause its easy). The mentality is that the Drs there will put all their work through the ACC licensees firm. I guarantee its a constant juggle of whats a viable collection centre and whats not (when you look at test numbers per location). There is definitely underperformance in collection centres (implying just putting in a license doesnt magically increase referrals to a profitable point) ...some get closed and shifted.... Sought after might be more appropriately used from the GP perspective. JD > -- ================================================= dr john dooley mbbs frcpa aka "ron" _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
