Laboratory test utilization program: structure and impact in a large academic medical center.

In 2008, the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) created a Laboratory Test Utilization Program that included the establishment of a Laboratory Formulary Committee under the imprimatur of the Faculty Group Practice, the Office of Clinical Affairs, the Department of Pathology, and UMHS hospital administration. A critical component of the program is UM-CareLink, an order entry system for inpatients and inpatient-like venues. UM-CareLink allows very basic decision support comment prompts. Through the application of peer-reviewed medical evidence, input by medical content experts, excellent cooperation by medical staff, and close oversight by Pathology of the Sendout Laboratory, this program has led to a robust process of test utilization oversight, excellent communication with clinical services, and significant UMHS activity-adjusted reductions in laboratory expense.