Maintaining the quality of laboratory services in a cost-containment environment.

Cutting costs while maintaining quality requires a very complete understanding of laboratory medicine and laboratory management. The pathologist must take the lead in maximizing the usefulness of laboratory information, while minimizing costs of labor, reagents, send-outs, equipment, maintenance, space, and overhead. Consideration is given to evaluation of alternative laboratory arrangements, streamlining of quality control, and monitoring and optimizing laboratory utilization, in cooperation with the clinician.