title: Laboratory tests, interpretation, and use of resources: a program to introduce the basics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The overuse of laboratory testing has increased rapidly and is contributing to the financial strain on the health care system in Canada. Moreover, a substantial proportion of ordered tests are unnecessary. In a search of all the Canadian family physician residency programs, none lists laboratory training as mandatory or as an optional elective in its curriculum.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To introduce family medicine residents to appropriate and efficient use of laboratory tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  The program was run as a series of identical 4-hour small group sessions to facilitate discussion and laboratory tours. The curriculum focused on 7 key topics: problems associated with laboratory testing, sources of laboratory errors, definitions of normal and abnormal test results, appropriate use of laboratory requisition forms, laboratory quality assurance methods, laboratory collection processes, and costs of common laboratory tests. Residents were taken to a patient specimen collection site for a tour and introduction, followed by approximately 2 hours of didactic sessions, and ending with a tour of a large tertiary care testing facility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The program was very well received by family medicine residents and resulted in a substantial increase in residents' self-assessed knowledge of the 7 topics covered in the curriculum. It is hoped that this program will fill an important gap in residency training and support residents' competency in the "selectivity" domain of training.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic and Scientific Centre, 9-3535 Research Rd NW, Calgary, AB T2N 2K8. christopher.naugler@cls.ab.ca.
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paulin
authors.forename: Davinder
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sidhu
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naugler
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002983:Clinical Competence; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D016730:Program Development