European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

APPROPRIATENESS OF HOSPITAL LABORATORY SERVICES UTILIZATION

Adnan Baddour* and EybaaIbraheem

ABSTRACT

The appropriate use of hospital services (diagnostic testing and therapy) belongs firmly in the domain of quality care and clinical accountability. Laboratory tests utilization is appropriate if it allows accurate diagnoses to be made, ideal treatment to be identified and monitored, accurate prognoses to be established and patients‟ hospital stays to be shortened. The appropriateness of the services including the appropriate diagnostic testing formed the first challenge facing people who wish to improve healthcare systems in the developing world. This review addressed the definition of appropriate laboratory utilization - as an ongoing process of making the best use of laboratory resources, the principles of appropriate laboratory test selection and use, assessment methods of appropriateness of laboratory utilization and magnitude of inappropriate laboratory utilization at hospitals.

Keywords: Appropriate, laboratory tests utilization, appropriateness, inappropriate.