Trends in Laboratory Utilization

Laboratory utilization is definitely a hot topic in clinical laboratory medicine, but what's all the buzz about? Laboratory utilization encompasses a number of efforts aimed at managing laboratory resources and improving patient care. Many laboratory utilization programs have proven to dramatically decrease clinical laboratory spending. Likewise, many have proven to benefit patient care by decreasing blood loss due to phlebotomy, reducing the risk of spurious results, and helping to get the right test for the right patient at the right time. This article reviews examples of laboratory utilization trends, including laboratory utilization committees, laboratory test formularies, electronic tools, and test approval systems.