Heather Signorelli 1 , Joely A Straseski 1 , Jonathan R Genzen 1 , Brandon S Walker 1 , Brian R Jackson 1 , Robert L Schmidt 2 Show Affiliations »
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Appropriate test utilization is usually evaluated by adherence to published guidelines. In many cases, medical guidelines are not available. Benchmarking has been proposed as a method to identify practice variations that may represent inappropriate testing. This study investigated the use of benchmarking to identify sites with inappropriate utilization of testing for a particular analyte. METHODS: We used a Web-based survey to compare 2 measures of vitamin D utilization: overall testing intensity (ratio of total vitamin D orders to blood-count orders) and relative testing intensity (ratio of 1,25(OH)2D to 25(OH)D test orders). RESULTS: A total of 81 facilities contributed data. The average overall testing intensity index was 0.165, or approximately 1 vitamin D test for every 6 blood-count tests. The average relative testing intensity index was 0.055, or one 1,25(OH)2D test for every 18 of the 25(OH)D tests. Both indexes varied considerably. CONCLUSIONS: Benchmarking can be used as a screening tool to identify outliers that may be associated with inappropriate test utilization. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
BACKGROUND: Appropriate test utilization is usually evaluated by adherence to published guidelines. In many cases, medical guidelines are not available. Benchmarking has been proposed as a method to identify practice variations that may represent inappropriate testing. This study investigated the use of benchmarking to identify sites with inappropriate utilization of testing for a particular analyte. METHODS: We used a Web-based survey to compare 2 measures of vitamin D utilization: overall testing intensity (ratio of total vitamin D orders to blood-count orders) and relative testing intensity (ratio of 1,25(OH)2D to 25(OH)D test orders). RESULTS: A total of 81 facilities contributed data. The average overall testing intensity index was 0.165, or approximately 1 vitamin D test for every 6 blood-count tests. The average relative testing intensity index was 0.055, or one 1,25(OH)2D test for every 18 of the 25(OH)D tests. Both indexes varied considerably. CONCLUSIONS: Benchmarking can be used as a screening tool to identify outliers that may be associated with inappropriate test utilization. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
Entities: Chemical
Keywords:
benchmarking; laboratory management; laboratory testing; practice variation; test utilization; vitamin D
Mesh： See more »
Year: 2015
PMID： 26489683 DOI： 10.1309/LM2JVTWX8TKCURMF
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Lab Med ISSN： 0007-5027