Quick Review Cards for Medical Laboratory Science

Laboratory Operating Costs

Management &

Education Review 583

DEFINITION EXAMPLES

Fixed costs

Variable costs

Direct costs

Indirect costs

Unit cost/cost per test

Instrument leases, maintenance contracts, computer services,

equipment costs, facilities upkeep, management salaries,

custodial salaries, employee benefits, depreciation, lease

payments, rent, taxes

Labor costs, supplies, reagents, disposables

Supplies, reagents, controls, standards, disposables, equipment

costs, equipment maintenance contracts, equipment deprecia-

tion, technical & supervisory labor

Administration, plant maintenance, security, utilities, building

depreciation, rent, taxes, insurance, housekeeping, purchasing,

billing, regulatory expenses, laboratory information system

(LIS) expenses

Expenses that don’t fluctuate when

volume of work changes over short

term

Expenses that fluctuate directly with

change in work load

Costs associated with performance of

a test

Overhead

Total of direct & indirect expenses of

producing a test result