Abstract
The concept of laboratory formularies is closely linked with the management of laboratory test utilization. Creating laboratory formularies—lists of tests used in the hospital laboratory and/or approved for sending to reference laboratories together with technical details and ordering instructions for each test—is the essential first step in utilization management. We explain the major differences between in-house and reference laboratory formularies. Based on several years of experience with an actively maintained laboratory formulary at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we describe the process of establishing the formulary, categorizing tests, and reviewing the test requests. Finally, we emphasize the need for close collaboration with clinicians and for frequent reviews of both the in-house formulary and, in particular, the reference test formulary in the rapidly developing areas of laboratory diagnostics.
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Jarolim, P. (2017). Laboratory Formularies. In: Lewandrowski, K., Sluss, P. (eds) Utilization Management in the Clinical Laboratory and Other Ancillary Services. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34199-6_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34199-6_8
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