National Inventory of Clinical Laboratory Testing Services (NICLTS). Development and test distribution for 1996

Area of Science:

• Clinical Laboratory Science
• Health Services Research
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• A need exists for a statistically valid inventory of clinical and anatomical laboratory testing distribution in the US.
• Such data are crucial for assessing the impact of the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments of 1988.
• Informing health care and public health policy decisions requires accurate laboratory testing volume data.

Discussion:

• The National Inventory of Clinical Laboratory Testing Services provides initial data on US laboratory testing volumes for 1996.
• A stratified random sample of laboratories was surveyed, collecting data on test volume, method, and analyte.
• Data collection involved field tabulators for high-complexity labs and mail/telephone surveys for waived or provider-performed microscopy labs.

Key Insights:

• The estimated total US testing volume in 1996 was 7.25 billion tests.
• While comprising 16% of survey sites, complex testing laboratories performed 80% of the total testing volume.
• Glucose analysis was the most frequent test, and automated hematology and chemistry analyzers were the most common methods.

Outlook:

• The developed survey methodology provides a statistically valid and consistent approach to assessing US laboratory testing distribution.
• Analysis by laboratory type and geographic region offers insights into testing patterns.
• The study design is adaptable for collecting further data crucial for public health and medical care delivery.