Category: Insights

Polygenic Risk Scores

BeaconLBS January 9, 2024

Multifactorial conditions are complex health problems that have genetic and environmental influences. They are not dependent upon a variant in a single gene like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia. A Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) aims to capture this cumulative impact from variants in many genes to estimate a risk of developing a specific health […]

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Ovarian Cancer Awareness

BeaconLBS January 4, 2024

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among females; however, ovarian cancer cases are not nearly as common compared to lung, breast, colon, and prostate cancer.  The American Cancer Society estimates there will be about 20,000 new cases and 13,000 deaths due to ovarian cancer in 2023 in the United States. About […]

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Regulating Laboratory Developed Tests…the Balance Between Oversight and Innovation*

BeaconLBS December 20, 2023

Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) have been clinically available for decades and are defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an “IVD [in vitro diagnostic] that is intended for clinical use and designed, manufactured and used within a single laboratory.” These tests are ordered routinely by clinicians and are critical for patient care. […]

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ChatGPT and Healthcare

BeaconLBS November 27, 2023

As discussed previously, AI technologies have the capability to enhance healthcare and improve patient outcomes. There is a technology that stands alone in its promise to disrupt and change healthcare called ChatGPT. Although there are similar proprietary technologies, ChatGPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) currently has received an enormous amount of press and scrutiny in the mainstream […]

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Lung Cancer

BeaconLBS August 14, 2023

Lung cancer ranks as the world’s most prevalent and the third most common cancer in the US, with a staggering 238,000 new cases anticipated in 2023.

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Interview with Dr. Dorothy Adcock

BeaconLBS June 8, 2023

Dr. Dorothy Adcock, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Senior Vice President (SVP), was first introduced in a previous article. However, we wanted to take an opportunity for her to share her professional journey and discuss specific insights about her career as a physician, research scientist, and industry executive.

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Thyroid Testing Overutilization – Possible Solutions

BeaconLBS September 16, 2022

Data suggests there is quite a bit of variability among providers regarding thyroid testing, and some may not follow ordering guidelines. Unnecessary lab testing in general, is a waste of precious time, resources, and can lead to patient harm.

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Procalcitonin

BeaconLBS July 29, 2022

The overuse of antibiotics for nonbacterial infections, such as viral infections, can lead to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Resistance can also develop when patients take antibiotics for too long a duration. Optimizing antibiotic use contributes to antimicrobial stewardship, which is treating the patient with right drug, dose, and duration.

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COVID-19 and Mental Health

BeaconLBS June 21, 2022

When the pandemic was declared in March of 2020, much of the focus was on mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and developing vaccines. Radical lockdowns and disruptions were created to slow the spread of the disease. However, these unprecedented responses have had a detrimental impact on mental health.

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Solutions to Redundant Laboratory Testing

BeaconLBS February 8, 2022

It is estimated that about 20% of all lab testing ordered in the United States is unnecessary. Furthermore, some testing is even underutilized. These ordering errors may cause patient harm.

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