What’s a CLIA waiver, and how does it help schools, shelters, and other settings do point-of-care testing? Read on to learn how Primary can help.
A CLIA certificate of waiver (CLIA waiver) is an authorization granted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CLIA waiver allows for point-of-care tests to be delivered in non-traditional diagnostic settings, such as schools, shelters, and rehabilitation facilities. Generally, waived tests are simple tests with a low risk for an incorrect result. Examples of waived tests include some point-of-care tests for infectious disease, blood glucose monitoring, rapid strep tests, and urine pregnancy tests. (See the current list of CLIA-waived tests.)
Primary.Health CLIA-waived testing provides all of the benefits of a CMS-issued CLIA waiver plus a powerful software platform to streamline your test administration, test result recording, patient communications, compliance tasks, and much more.
Even if your organization has its own CLIA waiver, you can still use our software platform to administer testing, generate comprehensive data reports, and manage your compliance needs.
Benefits of a CLIA Waiver
Most importantly, more frequent and efficient testing will result in healthier people. However, let’s break down other advantages of CLIA-waived testing: expanded access to diagnostic testing, timely treatment decisions, improved patient experience, and streamlined workflows:
- Increased Accessibility: CLIA waivers help to increase access to essential diagnostic tests by allowing certain healthcare settings (clinics, community health centers, and long-term care facilities, for example) to perform these tests on site, at the point of care. This means that patients in remote or underserved areas can receive prompt and accurate test results without the need for referral to larger laboratories.
- Expanded Testing: A CLIA waiver allows your facility to incorporate waived tests into your service offerings while still meeting CLIA standards. With this expanded test menu, you can diagnose and treat a wider range of conditions, enhancing your clinical proficiency.
- Rapid Turnaround Time: By performing waived POC tests on-site without a trained laboratory technician, you can obtain quick results. In turn, you can make timely treatment decisions and reduce disease spread. This is particularly beneficial for conditions that require immediate intervention, such as COVID-19, RSV, influenza, strep, and other infectious diseases.
- Cost Efficiency: Conducting CLIA-waived tests on-site can reduce costs associated with outsourcing laboratory services. This not only saves money but also streamlines your overall healthcare delivery workflow.
- Improved Patient Experience: CLIA-waived POC testing enhances the patient experience by minimizing the need for multiple visits or referrals. Your patients receive immediate feedback and appropriate treatment options, leading to better overall health as well as engagement in their own health.
Overall, embracing CLIA-waived testing will enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately improve patient outcomes for your organization.
The Primary CLIA advantage
Primary.Health software is designed to empower point-of-care testing, whether you’re using your own CLIA waiver or belong to the Primary CLIA-waived testing program. Our streamlined interface allows you to record test results as they are run, distribute results to participants in real time, and complete all compliance-related tasks.
Additionally, our account team supports you throughout the CLIA waiver application process.
Ready to get started with Primary CLIA-waived testing? Schedule a call today.
