"Arguments against denying pathologists payment for the work they do in the clinical laboratory—even if that work is frequently measured indirectly—are strong and convincing."

Timothy Craig Allen (2014) Once More Unto the Breach. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: June 2014, Vol. 138, No. 6, pp. 727-727.

EDITORIALS

Once More Unto the Breach

Timothy Craig Allen, MD, JD

From the Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch.

"Arguments against denying pathologists payment for the work they do in the clinical laboratory—even if that work is frequently measured indirectly—are strong and convincing. Court decisions have almost consistently held that pathologists provide a valuable medical service in the clinical laboratory for which payment is due. And indeed courts should; most pathologists spend half of their residency years developing their clinical pathology skills. Some pathologists subspecialize, ultimately practicing entirely in the various realms of clinical pathology. Patients reap many tangible benefits from the pathologists' involvement in the clinical laboratory, including safe blood products, accurate blood tests, and timely microbiologic assessment, to name a few."