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laboratory medicine (clinical pathology)
The branch of pathology concerned with using laboratory methods to:
1) confirm or reject a clinical diagnosis
2) provide guidelines in patient management
3) detect disease through screening tests
4) monitor therapy
Major components of laboatory medicine include:
1) clinical chemistry
2) clinical microbiology
3) hematopathology
4) blood banking
Management:
- endorsement by executive physician leadership
- development & implementation of a laboratory formulary requires collaboration among laboratory directors & administration, ordering clinicians, nurses & clinic staff, hospital finance, & health IT
- without executive buy-in, it is difficult to align diverse stakeholders
- data are essential
- granular data about laboratory test ordering, both to identify opportunities for improvement & to monitor effectiveness of implementation
Related
clinical laboratory information
clinical laboratory test
Specific
blood banking (transfusion medicine)
General
pathology subspecialty
References
- Clinical Diagnosis & Management by Laboratory Methods,
19th edition, J.B. Henry (ed), W.B. Saunders Co.,
Philadelphia, PA. 1996, pg 3
- Zutter M, Field J, Bernard G
Relentless Reinvention. Improving Care and Cutting Costs:
Implementation of a Laboratory Formulary to Facilitate Better
Laboratory Ordering Practices.
NEJM Catalyst. Sept 20, 2017
http://catalyst.nejm.org/laboratory-formulary-facilitate-ordering-practices