Redundant care
Problem: Redundant Testing
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Laboratory tests are a critical component of the assessment of patients for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of most diseases. Unfortunately, the indiscriminate use and overuse of laboratory tests contribute a significant and unnecessary burden on the health care system.
Unnecessary duplicate laboratory testing is common and costly. As healthcare in the US changes from a fee-for-service model increasingly toward value-based payments, strategies to avoid unnecessary laboratory tests will become progressively more important. Gone are the days of the “shot-gun” approach where a panel of tests is ordered and all tests in the panel are performed, regardless of the results. |
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There is a lot of opportunity to reduce duplicate tests, reduce errors, and provide better care to patients. A recent study found that there is somewhere near a 30% overutilization rate for tests ordered. The Institute of Medicine estimates that over $200 billion a year are spent on tests and procedures that are unnecessary.
Redundant testing contributes to reductions in healthcare system efficiency. Duplicate laboratory tests that are unwarranted increase unnecessary phlebotomy, which contributes to iatrogenic anemia, decreased patient satisfaction, and increased health care costs. |
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