Quality and safety in outpatient laboratory testing.
Interactions between the laboratory and outpatient physician are critical to ensure the appropriateness, accuracy, and utility of laboratory results. A recent Institute of Medicine report suggested that the consequences of medical errors in the outpatient setting-and the opportunities to improve-"may dwarf those in hospitals." This article focuses on the role of the physician's office in laboratory quality.
Elder
Nancy C
NC
Department of Family Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0582, USA. eldernc@fammed.uc.edu
Hickner
John
J
Graham
Deborah
D
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D010824:Physicians' Offices / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012449:Safety