April 8, 2026- As consultants to our customers and trusted members of our communities, we are often called upon to provide guidance on CLIA, reimbursement, test mix selection, legislation affecting the laboratory business, and many other areas.
For the most part, we take our time, consider the situation, the source and how much information is needed, then come up with a thoughtful answer that fits the need. To be thorough, we often seek confirmation from our trusted manufacturing partners.
We need to be mindful to provide the right amount and balance of information. Is it accurate? Does it fully answer the question? Is it explained so the person asking the question can understand it? Does it need and have supporting data? Is it actionable?
Why actionable? This may be the most important element. Most people do not ask us questions out of boredom. They ask because they need information to take action. Therefore, we also need to understand that when consulting goes “oops,” the person asking the question may take inappropriate action.
Admitting a mistake
This leads to my first rule of admitting we have screwed up: admit the mistake as soon as possible. While painful, this can eliminate or minimize more painful downstream consequences. If you are lucky, the person who asked for help did not take action yet.
Continue Reading in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.