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Research Article| Volume 16, ISSUE 3, P749-771, September 1996

Managing Physician Use of Laboratory Tests

  • Valenstein Paul
    Correspondence
    Address reprint requests to: Paul Valenstein, MD, Department of Pathology, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, P.O. Box 995, Ann Arbor, MI 48106
    Affiliations
    From the Department of Pathology, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan
    Search for articles by this author
      This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.
      In the era of capitated payment for laboratory services, aggressive management of test utilization has the potential to yield substantial financial benefits. This article discusses the measurement of laboratory utilization, industry benchmarks, and aspects of the health care environment that affect test utilization. In addition, the track record of different techniques for managing laboratory utilization, including educational interventions and administrative changes, are explored.
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