Maria Salinas 1,2 , Maite López-Garrigós 1 , Emilio Flores 1,3 , Carlos Leiva-Salinas 4 Show Affiliations »
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the ratios of requests of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and urea to creatinine (Crea); to investigate the variability among regions and to calculate the potential savings if a target is reached. METHODS: Laboratories were invited to fill out a registration form on the number of AST, ALT, Urea and Crea requested in 2014, and to provide the reagent price of urea and AST. AST:ALT and Urea:Crea were calculated and compared; also compared were potential savings if each laboratory would have reached the target. Results: A significant difference was found among regions in Urea:Crea. Twenty-one laboratories reached the goal in AST:ALT, and 6 in Urea:Crea. The potential savings if each indicator would have reached the target would have been $553,827 and $745,184, respectively. CONCLUSION: Variability was found in AST:ALT and Urea:Crea, which resulted in a significant unnecessary financial burden and suggests the need to promote the optimal requesting rate. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com
OBJECTIVE: To compare the ratios of requests of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and urea to creatinine (Crea); to investigate the variability among regions and to calculate the potential savings if a target is reached. METHODS: Laboratories were invited to fill out a registration form on the number of AST, ALT, Urea and Crea requested in 2014, and to provide the reagent price of urea and AST. AST:ALT and Urea:Crea were calculated and compared; also compared were potential savings if each laboratory would have reached the target. Results: A significant difference was found among regions in Urea:Crea. Twenty-one laboratories reached the goal in AST:ALT, and 6 in Urea:Crea. The potential savings if each indicator would have reached the target would have been $553,827 and $745,184, respectively. CONCLUSION: Variability was found in AST:ALT and Urea:Crea, which resulted in a significant unnecessary financial burden and suggests the need to promote the optimal requesting rate. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com
Entities: Chemical
Keywords:
laboratory medicine; management; primary care; quality measurement
Mesh： See more »
Year: 2017
PMID： 28934516 DOI： 10.1093/labmed/lmx051
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Lab Med ISSN： 0007-5027