[Recommendations for the appropriate use of 14 laboratory tests in Québec]

Ordering certain laboratory tests in a routine medical practice context may be inappropriate because they a) have been replaced with a better test; b) are not indicated for initial testing; c) are part of a panel of tests, or d) cover a broad range of diseases in a nonspecific clinical context. On the other hand, these tests may be useful in the presence of specific clinical indications or in specialty medicine. To improve the appropriateness of ordering laboratory tests, INESSS, in collaboration with an expert committee, has developed a practical tool for the judicious use of 14 laboratory tests, whose inappropriateness for the given indications is raised in the scientific literature.