Why Do Physicians Order Laboratory Tests?

THE NUMBER of clinical laboratory tests performed has increased greatly in recent years in nearly all health centers in the United States. This rise in laboratory use has been a major factor contributing to escalating health care costs.1The need for so large a number of laboratory tests has quite reasonably been questioned.2Several authors3-6have offered reasons for the increased number of tests. These include overzealous documentation, medicolegal considerSee also p 2053. ations, building of a personal data base, public relations, and profit, in addition to valid clinical indications. Little hard data are available in print to document why physicians order laboratory tests or to indicate what percentage of tests is ordered for the various reasons cited.5-7This study collected such information by asking physicians directly why they ordered laboratory tests and whether and how the results influenced their diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. Methods The