Type of publication:
Conference abstract
Author(s):
*Hallworth M.
Citation:
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, July 2014, vol./is. 52/(S34), 1434-6621 (July 2014)
Abstract:
Clinical laboratory workers believe that the work they perform in providing laboratory tests is valuable. However, data to validate this has been limited, and evidence of the contribution of laboratory medicine to the overall process of diagnosis and management is not easy to obtain. This session will describe the work of the IFCC Task Force on the Impact of Laboratory Medicine on Clinical Management and Outcomes (TF-ICO). It will examine existing evidence, review the gaps in our understanding and deficiencies in the way laboratory medicine is used, and indicate how these can be remedied. Many articles and presentations seeking to promote the value of laboratory medicine have made use of what has become known as the ”70% claim”. This is presented in various forms, most commonly that ”Laboratory Medicine influences 70% of clinical decisions”, or minor variations around this figure. However, the data on which this estimate was based represents unpublished studies and anecdotal observations, and cannot now be objectively verified. The IFCC TF-ICO was established in 2012 to evaluate the available evidence supporting the impact of laboratory medicine in healthcare, and to develop the study design for new studies to generate evidence of the contribution made by laboratory medicine. This presentation will examine existing evidence, review the gaps in our understanding and deficiencies in the way laboratory medicine is currently used, indicate how these might be remedied and offer a vision of a future state in which laboratory medicine is used effectively to support patient care and enhance patient safety. An approach to measuring value will be proposed in which the net value of a testing process is defined as delivered benefits minus delivered harm (undesirable effects of testing). Value is maximized by increasing the benefits and reducing harm. Much of the evidence relating to the value of laboratory medicine is poorly structured and does not relate to clinical outcomes. A more rigorous approach is required. Laboratory medicine has much to offer, but can cause adverse outcomes if not properly used. Laboratorians need to refocus their attention onto improving outcomes.
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