Ordering Patterns and Costs of Specialized Laboratory Testing by Hospitalists and House Staff in Hospitalized Patients With HIV at a County Hospital: An Opportunity for Diagnostic Stewardship.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Inpatient HIV care often requires specialized laboratory testing with which practitioners may not be familiar. In addition, computerized physician order entry allows for ordering tests without understanding test indications, but it can also provide a venue for education and diagnostic stewardship.

Methods

All charts of HIV-positive patients hospitalized at a tertiary care public safety net hospital in Houston, Texas, between January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2014, were reviewed for a set list of laboratory tests. Appropriateness of test ordering was assessed by 2 providers. Cost estimates for each test were obtained from Medicaid and a national nonprofit health care charge database.

Results

A total of 274 HIV-positive patients were admitted 429 times in the 6-m

SUBMITTER: Bolles K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6557192 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature