Controlling the use of stat testing

Overused stat testing consumes an excessive share of the laboratory budget in many health care settings. The clinical practitioners and laboratory personnel in the setting described in this article negotiated a multifaceted program that resulted in a 95 percent reduction in the use of stat testing and improved the turnaround time of stat results for patients with potentially emergent problems. Financial savings from the program allowed a no-growth laboratory budget for the following fiscal year.