title: The ANA profile: quality and cost-effective laboratory utilization.
abstract: The ANA Profile was introduced in 1981 and computerized in 1984 as a means of facilitating follow-up testing for specific antibodies (anti-nDNA, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-La/SS-B) in sera found to contain antinuclear antibodies (ANA). A second purpose was to avoid unnecessary specific antibody testing on negative or low-titer sera. This study was done to evaluate the effectiveness of the computerized ANA Profile reporting system in accomplishing these purposes. The authors compared ordering practices during two two-week periods, one in 1984 and a second in 1988, and found that follow-up testing on positive sera had improved from 27% to 70% with a reduction in unnecessary specific-antibody testing of ANA-negative or low-titer sera from 11% to 1.6%. In 1988 dollars, the annual savings from eliminating unnecessary testing was calculated to be $12,000. The ANA Profile has been partially successful in accomplishing the purposes for which it was introduced.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Clough
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear