Title
Cost avoidance and outcome improvement by implementing a test utilization strategy for molecular microbiology tests
Date Issued
01 January 2014
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Racsa L.
Pusch T.
Gander R.M.
Southern P.
Cavuoti D.
Byrd L.
Alatoom A.
Publisher(s)
Elsevier Inc.
Abstract
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. The overall approval rate was 76%, ranging from 72% in 2007 to 81% in 2010. With the exception of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and BK virus PCR, the numbers of all tests decreased in 2010 compared to 2007. The total savings over 4 years was $374,791, with an average cost avoidance of $93,698/year. Pathologists and microbiologists should design a utilization system for laboratory testing to avoid unnecessary cost and improve patient care.
Start page
185
End page
193
Volume
36
Issue
23
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología celular, Microbiología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84927511707
Source
Clinical Microbiology Newsletter
ISSN of the container
01964399
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus