Optimal Utilization of Laboratory Testing

Frequency of Testing

November 2011

Frequency of testing is also a concern. For complete blood count, we have to ask ourselves how often it should be ordered in a hospitalized patient and is this recommendation based on high level literature-supported evidence. Sometimes, if we just get our physicians to think about their ordering patterns without even doing anything except asking the question, we can get them to think about the frequency of the testing.

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Frequency of Testing

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Jump to section:

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Assumptions to Forego
• Roger's Adopter Categories Based on Degree of Innovativeness¹
• Changes to Manual Requisitions^2,7
• Is This Test Misused?
• Overused/Misused Tests: Good Literature Support
• Bleeding Time³
• Anti–Single–Stranded DNA: Another Misused Test^4,5,6
• Use of Algorithms
• Laboratory Test Utilization
• Thyroid Testing Guidelines
• Thyroid Function Ordering Algorithm
• Pernicious Anemia Testing Guidelines
• Pernicious Anemia Testing Cascade
• Diarrhea Work Up Guidelines
• Parasitic Investigation of Stool Specimens Algorithm
• Obsolete Tests: Laboratory Directors' Opinions⁷
• Overused/Misused Tests — Opinion
• Frequency of Testing
• Newer Tests and Panels on the Horizon
• Hints on Improving Lab Utilization
• Hints on Improving Lab Utilization (2)
• Interventions to Improve Lab Utilization⁷
• Algorithm for Assessing Send–out Tests
• Improved Test Utilization: Assistance from Clinical Practice Committee
• Other Benefits of Clinical Practice Committee
• Summary
• References
• I Welcome Your Questions
• Questions?