Less resources devoted to biochemical diagnosis, poor valuation of professional skills, inaccuracies and errors. These are the accusations that the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology – Laboratory Medicine (SIBioC) makes to the new decree on the definition of the rates of specialist outpatient care, which is being approved at the State Regions Conference. “We believe that the pandemic has shown, now as never before, the value of laboratory diagnostics in public health as an irreplaceable tool for protecting health for all citizens”, Tommaso Trenti, president of SIBioC. “This is why our scientific society has addressed a heartfelt appeal to the Ministry of Health, expressing strong concern about the consequences that the application of the tariff in the form in which it was presented to the Regions could have”.
Among the points that most concern the specialists who work in the laboratory is the extreme contraction of resources allocated to biochemical diagnostics, which puts the sustainability of Laboratory Medicine services at risk. SIBioC fears a further push towards the search for economies of scale, through consolidation-concentration, the reduction of workforce and professionalism, the transformation of laboratory medicine services into commodities that can be purchased like other goods. In fact, the decree does not seem to give any enhancement to human resources and professionalism, in contrast with all the most current theories of Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine.
Finally, the new LEA nomenclator also contains inaccuracies, inconsistencies and gaps. In the letter sent, SIBioC reports them and proposes itself as a technical and scientific interlocutor, for an urgent revision of the Decree, before it is approved. “We trust that our requests will be accepted, in the primary interest of patients suffering from any type of disease. , and of all Italian citizens, for the preservation of their health ”concludes Trenti.