Cost Avoidance and Outcome Improvement by Implementing a Test Utilization Strategy for Molecular Microbiology Tests

Test utilization is an essential strategy in the clinical laboratory, especially with increasing numbers of tests and health care costs. We designed a triage system for molecular microbiology tests ordered from 2007 through 2010 to assess their appropriateness before they were sent out to a reference laboratory for testing. The number of tests ordered and approved and the number with positive results were calculated during the study period. Cost avoidance was subsequently calculated. A total of 13,839 tests were ordered, averaging 3,335 tests/year.
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: news