Belgian rare diseases plan in clinical pathology: identification of key biochemical diagnostic tests and establishment of reference laboratories and financing conditions.

ABSTRACT:

Background

One objective of the Belgian Rare Diseases plan is to improve patients' management using phenotypic tests and, more specifically, the access to those tests by identifying the biochemical analyses used for rare diseases, developing new financing conditions and establishing reference laboratories.

Methods

A feasibility study was performed from May 2015 until August 2016 in order to select the financeable biochemical analyses, and, among them, those that should be performed by reference laboratories. This selection was based on an inventory of analyses used for rare diseases and a survey addressed to the Belgian laboratories of clinical pathology (investigating the annual analytical costs, volumes, turnaround times and the tests unavailable in Belgium and outsourced

SUBMITTER: Vandevelde NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7890854 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature