Biomaterial Database

Laboratory investigations in a rural general practice--cost and effect implications. 1989

M Orlandi, and J A Grant

An audit of a rural practice's use of laboratory investigations, over a period of three months, 3,4 in that as well as calculating costs an attempt has been made to assess the effectiveness of the investigations' results in relation to subsequent decisions concerning patient management. Two principals and a trainee were involved in the project, in a practice with a list of 3,200 patients. Approximately 12% of patients contacts were investigated which is comparable with previous studies 3, 4, 5. Cervical cytology and pregnosticon testing were excluded from the study. A total of 594 investigations were requested from 421 patients. Microbiology accounted for 39.8% of the total requests, Haematology 31.3%6, Biochemistry 22.4% and Radiology 6.5%. These results are similar to other published studies, though, requests for Radiological were somewhat lower 3, 4, 5, 7. An estimate of the annual cost of investigations is given (see Tables I-IV). Implications of the results for the practice in cost terms is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007753	Laboratories	Facilities equipped to carry out investigative procedures.	Laboratory
D011216	Practice Management, Medical	The organization and operation of the business aspects of a physician's practice.	Medical Practice Management Services,Management, Medical Practice,Medical Practice Management,Practice Management Services, Medical,Managements, Medical Practice,Medical Practice Managements,Practice Managements, Medical
D003365	Costs and Cost Analysis	Absolute, comparative, or differential costs pertaining to services, institutions, resources, etc., or the analysis and study of these costs.	Affordability,Analysis, Cost,Cost,Cost Analysis,Cost Comparison,Cost Measures,Cost-Minimization Analysis,Costs and Cost Analyses,Costs, Cost Analysis,Pricing,Affordabilities,Analyses, Cost,Analyses, Cost-Minimization,Analysis, Cost-Minimization,Comparison, Cost,Comparisons, Cost,Cost Analyses,Cost Comparisons,Cost Measure,Cost Minimization Analysis,Cost, Cost Analysis,Cost-Minimization Analyses,Costs,Measure, Cost,Measures, Cost
D005194	Family Practice	A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.	Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012424	Rural Population	The inhabitants of rural areas or of small towns classified as rural.	Rural Residence,Rural Communities,Rural Spatial Distribution,Communities, Rural,Community, Rural,Distribution, Rural Spatial,Distributions, Rural Spatial,Population, Rural,Populations, Rural,Residence, Rural,Rural Community,Rural Populations,Rural Residences,Rural Spatial Distributions
D012606	Scotland	The most northerly of the four countries of the United Kingdom, occupying about one-third of the island of Great Britain. The capital is Edinburgh.