RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Redundant laboratory testing on referral from general practice to the outpatient clinic: a post-hoc analysis
JF BJGP Open
JO BJGP Open
FD Royal College of General Practitioners
SP BJGPO.2021.0134
DO 10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0134
VO 6
IS 1
A1 Bram EL Vrijsen
A1 Maarten J ten Berg
A1 Wouter W van Solinge
A1 Jan Westerink
YR 2022
UL http://bjgpopen.org/content/6/1/BJGPO.2021.0134.abstract
AB Background Inappropriately repeated laboratory testing is a commonly occurring problem. However, this has not been studied extensively in the outpatient clinic after referral by GPs.Aim The aim of this study was to investigate how often laboratory tests ordered by the GP were repeated on referral to the outpatient clinic, and how many of the normal test results remained normal on repetition.Design & setting This is a post-hoc analysis of a study on laboratory testing strategies in patients newly referred to the outpatient clinic between April 2015 and April 2017.Method All patients who had a referral letter including laboratory test results ordered by the GP were included. These results were compared with the laboratory test results ordered in the outpatient clinic.Results Data were available for 295 patients, 191 of which had post-visit testing done. In this group, 56% of tests ordered by the GP were repeated. Tests with abnormal results were repeated more frequently than tests with normal results (65% versus 53%; P<0.001). A longer test interval was associated with slightly smaller odds of tests being repeated (odds ratio [OR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.95 to 0.99; P = 0.003). Of the tests with normal test results that were repeated, 90% remained normal. This was independent of testing interval or testing strategy.Conclusion Laboratory tests ordered by the GP are commonly repeated on referral to the outpatient clinic. The number of test results remaining normal on repetition suggests a high level of redundancy in laboratory test repetition.