EDI (electronic data interchange) provides strategy for laboratory results reporting

Historically, results of laboratory tests have been transmitted from hospitals to physicians' offices by mail and telephone. Two problems inherent in this system are the difficulty in notifying the physician and in the timeliness of delivery of results. Telephone messages may fail to reach the physician. Hard copies of reports may be misfiled, lost, or delayed in the mail. Today, test results can be transmitted between physicians' offices and hospitals via facsimile machines and electronic data interchange (EDI). This article examines the cost effectiveness, confidentiality, and opportunity for growth these alternative methods of transmission offer.