Basic Concepts for Making Informed Financial Decisions for the Clinical Laboratory Part 1
Continuing Education Credits
The course introduces the participant to financial analysis processes for the clinical laboratory. Participants will become familiar with several accounting terms, learn how to calculate depreciation, and understand how to perform micro and macro cost analysis studies. They will learn how to calculate the break-even point and operating leverage for laboratory cost and revenue centers. They will be able to calculate several resource utilization and productivity indices and apply them in managing the clinical laboratory.
Objectives
- Define fixed and variable costs and provide examples.
- Explain why labor is generally a fixed cost.
- Calculate straight line depreciation.
- List cost and revenue centers in the typical clinical laboratory.
- Perform a micro and macro cost analysis.
- Interpret the results of the break-even point and operating leverage calculations.
Course Outline
- Introduction to Making Informed Financial Decisions for the Clinical Laboratory
- Introduction
- Managed Care Plans
- Medicare-Medicaid Health Payment
- Physician Groups
- In-House Laboratory Testing
- Monitoring Cost and Revenues
- Why Monitor Costs and Revenue?
- Cost Determination
- True or False: If the laboratory manager does not perform any part of the testing process, this person's salary is considered an indirect cost.
- Calculating Depreciation of Capital Costs
- Cost and Revenue Centers in the Clinical Laboratory
- A new hematology instrument was purchased for the clinical laboratory. The cost was $72,000, the useful life was considered five years, and the annual number of reportable patient tests (PRT) was 20,000. What is the depreciation cost per reportable test for the hematology instrument?
- Performing a Cost Analysis Study
- Describing Cost Analysis in the Clinical Laboratory
- Example of Macro Cost Analysis
- Example of Micro Cost Analysis
- An annual macro cost analysis of the clinical chemistry laboratory demonstrated that the cost per patient reportable test (PRT) had increased significantly. During this period, staffing had remained constant, and so had the annual number of reportable patient tests. What should the laboratory manager look at first to see if steps can be taken to reduce the cost per PRT?
- Break-Even Point Analysis and Operating Leverage
- Calculating Break-Even Point
- Example of Break-Even Point Analysis
- Operating Leverage
- Example of Operating Leverage
- The clinical laboratory reported $1,300,000 in revenue, 650,000 patient reportable tests, fixed costs of $200,000, and variable costs of $250,000. What is the operating leverage for this laboratory?
- The clinical laboratory reported $1,300,000 in revenue, 650,000 patient reportable tests (PRT), fixed costs of $200,000, and variable costs of $250,000. What is the approximate break-even point for this laboratory?
- Measuring Productivity
- Measuring Productivity
- True or False: If supply costs in the example go up by $10,000 and the labor costs go down by $15,000, the profit margin per reportable test will go down.Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Sunshine Medical Center Quarterly ReportReportable Tests20,000 Direct Cost 130,000Resource Utilization Direct Cost/Reportable Test6.50Indirect Cost10,000Indirect Cost/Reportable Test0.50Total Cost140,000Total Cost/Re
- Helping Hand Medical Center Laboratory's quarterly report included supply costs of $105,000, technical labor costs of $125,000, and nontechnical labor costs of $60,000. Equipment depreciation was $100,000. There were 35,000 reportable tests (1 test per patient), and revenue from these tests was $1,769,000. Calculate the direct cost per reportable test, technical labor cost per reportable test, sup
- Summary
- Summary
- References
- References
Additional Information
Level of Instruction: Basic
Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical
laboratory technicians, laboratory supervisors, and laboratory managers. This
course is also appropriate for MLS and MLT students and pathology residents.
Author Information: Dr. A. Wayne Bruce has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Medical Laboratory Science and a Doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration and Statistics from the University of Minnesota. He has served as Director of a Clinical Laboratory Science program for 25 years and as Laboratory Director and Technical Consultant for over 35 years. He most recently was Associate Dean at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Dr. Bruce was President of Bruce North Country Consulting Services, LLC, and consulted with clinical laboratories on laboratory finance, start-up, management, and accreditation. He has numerous publications, including a book on quality assurance for the clinical Laboratory and a financial management manual for the Thompson Publishing Group.
The author has no
conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information:
Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM, is
a Lead Education Developer. She earned a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science
from the University of North Dakota and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction
from Saint Xavier University. She has over 15 years of experience in higher
education and has held program director and faculty positions in both MLT and
MLS programs.
Larry Brace, Ph.D., MLS(ASCP)SH, has over 40 years of experience as a medical laboratory scientist. He holds a B.S. degree in Medical Laboratory Science, an M.S. degree in Clinical Pathology from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been an Associate Director of the Medical Laboratory Science Program at Michigan State University, Professor of Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Professor of Pathology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He was also the Director of Core Laboratories at UIC until his retirement. Dr. Brace has published more than 40 articles in scientific journals and has nearly 100 presentations (abstracts and podium presentations) at national and international scientific meetings.
Course Description: The course introduces the participant to financial analysis processes for the clinical laboratory. Participants will become familiar with several accounting terms, learn how to calculate depreciation, and understand how to perform micro and macro cost analysis studies. They will learn how to calculate the break-even point and operating leverage for laboratory cost and revenue centers. They will be able to calculate several resource utilization and productivity indices and apply them in managing the clinical laboratory.