The financial imperative of physicians to control demand of laboratory testing

It is an integral component of doctor's duty of care to understand the significant impact laboratory testing has on the expense an ultimate quality of healthcare patients receive, yet the costs of these tests are poorly perceived. Utilising semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, we assessed surgeon's perceived costs of two commonly encountered clinical scenarios requiring out of hours laboratory testing. Of the 35 participants only 23.3% (n = 7) accurately estimated the overall cost. The most expensive test was "Type and Screen" at Euro 83, with 77.3% (n = 17) underestimating the cost. Non-consultant hospital doctors qualified for 3 years were more likely to underestimate on-call costs (p = 0.042). It is of utmost importance to improve the knowledge of all surgeons of the financial implications of investigations. Through education we can potentially reduce un-warranted costs and fulfill our duty of care in the most cost efficient manner.