Veloso, B. J. A. D., Jr. (2018). Laboratory consolidation strategies for improving pathology and laboratory services in the Philippine healthcare system (Unpublished master's thesis). Public Management Development Program, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Public Management and Development Program Senior Executives Class Batch 6 Thesis (SEC)--Development Academy of the Philippines.

Pathology and laboratory testing plays an essential role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease in patients. Timely and accurate laboratory results are necessary to achieve quality care that will improve patient outcomes andmanage healthcare costs. The improving economy will fuel rising demand for pathology and laboratory testing, including the latest laboratory tests and diagnostic technologies. In the Philippines many pathology and laboratory tests are unavailable or too expensive for the general public, thusan insufficient number of these tests areconducted for proper clinical advice. High costing results from a fragmented industry dominated by small hospitals with limited presence and size of referral and withcentralized (core) laboratories. Avast majority of these tests are performed inhouse by small hospitals, outsourcing only the more specialized tests thisresults in a lack of economies of scale for laboratory testing among all operators. This may adversely affect the quality of testing through decreased investment fromthecosts associated with quality because of the need to maximize margins. In order to improve efficiency and achieve significant cost reduction, clinical laboratories should improve cooperation and form more strategic alliances with the goal of consolidation and outsourcing. Greater economies of scale is crucial to achieving a greater number of available, high quality, and affordable tests. In line with President Rodrigo Dutertes Philippine Health Agenda 2016 2022, the visionfocuses on bringing higher quality, lower cost and abroader selection of available pathological services, specifically laboratory tests, to the country for the benefit patients, doctors, hospital management, and the government. A highly consolidated model such as the Regional Laboratory System would be able to deliver this vision in the area of pathology and laboratory testing.