Cgate Blog

I get this a lot, from my partners, colleagues, and customers… definitely from my investors. I guess the answer is simple really. Lab is where the most need exists and it is incredibly neglected. Lab information makes up 70% of the patient record and no one seems to care. While the world of RHIO’s, HIE’s and healthcare reform is fixated on e-prescribing and one size fits all EHR’s, the Clinical Lab universe continues on grossly underserved. To put a finer point on it, the amount of expertise, focus and resource allocation is disproportionate to the scale and weight of the problem in a nearly 50 billion-dollar lab industry.

What else? My background. I happen to come from a world focused on maximizing the efficient exchange of highly sensitive discretionary data, so this is right in my wheelhouse. I am admittedly human and as such tend to gravitate to problems I understand. To that end the idea of building a giant all encompassing data repository is of no interest, I will leave that for the Larry Ellison’s of the world.

It matters. As we move more towards genetic testing and preventative care, we are going to increase the amount of lab work being performed exponentially. We simply have got to get our house in order if we are going to be able to efficiently and effectively handle all this discretionary data. The promise of Healthcare for all mankind is only feasible if we can successfully squeeze every last ounce of efficiency out of this process. I say let’s start with the 70% and move from there.