DIAGNOSTIC CENTRES
Cutting Test Re-runs and Collection Leakage in a Diagnostic Lab
The cash drawer shows one figure, the software shows another, and the difference is blamed on a discount given at the counter. In the next room a reagent kit expires before it was finished, and nobody can say who ordered it or why.
We work on the business side of the centre: test-wise margins, reagent and stock discipline, daily reconciliation, referral arrangements, outsourced test costs and the owner's weekly view. Test methods, quality control and accreditation are matters for your pathologists and the relevant bodies.
Discuss your priorities ↗COMMON CHALLENGES
The pressures
we often see.
- 01Prices are fixed per test, but nobody has worked out the cost per test after reagents, controls, wastage and technician time, so the margin of a profile is a guess.
- 02Referral payouts to doctors and collection agents are calculated by hand, and disputes arise because rules are verbal and change by person.
- 03Outsourced tests go to an external lab at a rate that was negotiated once, and the centre has not compared it with the price charged to the patient.
- 04Counter staff give discounts without approval, and the daily cash closing does not tie back to billed amounts.
- 05Home collection routes are planned loosely, so phlebotomists spend time travelling between distant pick-ups while nearby ones wait.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
Where the work
usually starts.
- 01Cost and margin per test and per popular health package, with reagent and control lines
- 02Reagent stock with batch expiry, opening date and tests remaining per kit
- 03Daily closing: billed amount, collected amount, discounts and pending dues, signed by two people
- 04Referral payout rules written down and paid on a fixed day from the billing report
- 05Outsourced test list with cost, patient price and the lab used for each
- 06Re-run count by test and technician, since each repeated run uses reagent and time
- 07Phlebotomist routes grouped by area, with sample hand-over time to the lab
- 08Report delivery pending list by age and by test
START THIS WEEK
Things you can do
before you call anyone.
- Pick the five tests you do most often. For each, write down the reagent and consumable cost per test. Compare it with the price charged and note which one surprises you.
- Hypothetical example: a kit of 100 tests costs ₹5,000 and four tests are spoiled in repeats. Cost per usable test is about ₹52 against the apparent ₹50. Check your top kit.
- For one week, have the counter and cash lead sign a closing sheet that compares billed, collected and discounted amounts. Review the discrepancies on Saturday with the staff involved.
A PRACTICAL ENGAGEMENT
Start with the priorities
that matter most.
We begin by understanding how your business runs today, find the gaps, and agree the scope in writing. Recommendations are shaped around your team, your resources and your goals.
- A test-wise costing sheet for your twenty most common tests and top three health packages
- A daily closing and discount approval routine, one page for the counter team
- A referral rule note and a monthly payout statement layout
- A weekly owner sheet: tests done, margin by group, re-runs, outsourced volume, dues, reagents near expiry
Not the right fit when: A quality or accreditation problem, a report error needing clinical review, or a payment dispute needing a lawyer comes first. A centre with one test counter and no staff has little to reorganise.
Explore a business audit ↗LET’S MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD
