How and where DMTs fit in
Diagnostic Management Teams (DMT) operate by convening multi-disciplinary groups of healthcare professionals on an as-needed basis to evaluate individual patient histories and interpret clinical data. They generate an expert-driven narrative diagnostic report that is then communicated to physicians to guide patient treatment.
“Even though it’s called a Diagnostic Management Team, what we’ve realized over time is that the results we’re able to provide have a major influence and impact on patient outcomes,” says Dr. Michael Laposata, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “The fundamental activities of a DMT include recommending the correct tests for quick and definitive diagnoses without ordering unnecessary options; this is a goal that connects nicely into the overall concept of personalized medicine.”
Because it relies on input from a multidisciplinary group of experts, implementation of a Diagnostic Management Team can help direct patient treatment based on a complete informed view of the lab tests ordered and results. This is opposed to depending solely on the interpretation of one provider who may not be well versed in appropriate lab test selections from what is often an overwhelming and confusing menu of choices for complex cases.
“It can be challenging for healthcare providers to understand the clinical significance of laboratory tests relative to the diagnostic testing options available, and the complexity of lab tests continues to increase rapidly,” Dr. Laposata points out. “It’s gotten harder for providers to arrive at correct diagnoses simply because there’s so much more diagnostic information now to digest. The ensuing likelihood of making diagnostic errors has increased dramatically.”
Additionally, DMTs can offer valuable interpretations of genetic information that most providers may not understand, and therefore educate providers as to why certain drugs and products may or may not be effective for a particular patient.
“Mining data and evidence determines which processes work and which don’t,” Dr. Friedman explains. “This forms a foundational pathway that includes bringing the efforts of DMTs into the process to achieve the best outcomes for patients.”
In keeping with the tenets of the value-based care approach, DMTs can help optimize value in measurable ways by directing patients to effective treatment sooner and reducing the likelihood of diagnostic errors.
“There’s an increased emphasis on taking a team approach to coordinate patient care in the most timely and effective manner,” Dr. Friedman adds. “The ideal result is lower readmissions, less frequent hospitalizations and fewer trips to the emergency room.”
