[The increase in requests for laboratory tests in the community--are there any effective intervention programs?]

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pathology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Health Services Research

Context:

• Growing demand for laboratory testing in primary care settings.
• The diagnostic and therapeutic yield of increased laboratory test requests is questionable.
• Physician background characteristics correlate with laboratory test utilization patterns.

Purpose:

• To review the literature on laboratory test utilization by primary care physicians.
• To understand physician motivations for ordering laboratory tests.
• To evaluate interventions aimed at reducing unnecessary laboratory test orders.

Summary:

• Physician background characteristics influence laboratory test ordering.
• Studies exploring physician motives for ordering tests aim to reduce their frequency.
• Interventions designed to decrease laboratory test utilization have produced varied and contradictory outcomes.

Impact:

• Informs strategies for optimizing laboratory test ordering in primary care.
• Highlights the need for evidence-based guidelines in diagnostic testing.
• Contributes to reducing healthcare costs associated with unnecessary laboratory tests.