Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan hospital laboratory on-site review project

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan assessed the intensity of inpatient laboratory use for similar patients in a sample of 30 short-term hospitals in three geographic areas. Hospital records were abstracted for 1,834 patients treated in 1980 for uncomplicated (Stage 1) admissions involving eight common diagnoses. It was found that patients treated in osteopathic teaching hospitals received significantly more laboratory tests than similar patients in allopathic teaching or nonteaching hospitals. Statistically significant differences were also found among the three geographic areas in the sample.