NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – NextGxDx today announced that it has landed a group purchasing contract from Novation to provide genetic testing utilization management services to the Children's Hospital Association (CHA).
NextGxDx's GeneConnect provides hospitals and healthcare providers with administrative tools to streamline the process of ordering genetic tests. It offers the ability to establish preferred or restricted reference laboratory relationships, track electronic orders and results, monitor physician and department test utilization, and compare testing options. The firm will also provide access to resources available through its collaboration with Seattle Children's Hospital, including the Pediatric Laboratory Utilization Guidance Services (PLUGS) program.
"The growth in the cost and complexity of genetic testing is overwhelming children's hospitals and their ability to manage genetic test ordering," Michael Astion, medical director in the Department of Laboratories at Seattle Children's Hospital, said in a statement. "CHA members served by Novation will benefit from an integrated PLUGS/GeneConnect solution that provides comprehensive clinical and technical utilization management assessments along with the support tools essential to implementing cost-savings recommendations."
NextGxDx CEO Mark Harris added that GeneConnect customers have seen annual savings of up to 25 percent and incorporating PLUGS could lead to even greater savings.
The CHA represents more than 200 children's hospitals in the US.