Washington, DC, June 19, 2008 - AACC announces an audioconference on Appropriate Laboratory Usage: 10 Ways to Reduce Unnecessary Testing. The audioconference will take place on Wednesday, September 24 at 2:00pm (Eastern) and last approximately 90 minutes.
Reducing the overutilization of laboratory tests is a financial necessity. With a constant flow of new medical information influencing test ordering practices, patterns of test use continually change, making it difficult for labs to achieve overall cost savings and ensure they are doing the right testing on the right patients. Sound strategies are needed to make real progress in reducing inappropriate testing. More importantly, overutilization of laboratory testing does not just create a financial burden for labs – it is also a safety issue for patients. The more tests that are performed on a patient, the greater the potential there is for error.
In an effort to reduce inappropriate laboratory testing at their institution, two experts from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA have explored the use of a variety of management techniques, test algorithms and decision support tools. During this audioconference, they will discuss what has worked for them and will provide a case study of how they reduced testing in their surgical ICU by more than 35%. The speakers are:
- Kent B. Lewandrowski, MD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Associate Chief of Pathology (Operations);
- Anand S. Dighe, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Director, Core Laboratory and Director of Information
AACC invites the press to participate in this audioconference by completing and returning the Press Registration Form. AACC’s Press Registration Policy is also available on the website.
Any journalist who is interested in the subject, but is unable to participate in the audioconference, will be able to access the presentations and the audio. Please contact Peter Patterson for information on how to do this.
If you have any questions about the audioconference, or AACC’s press policy, please contact Peter Patterson on the either of the above telephone numbers.
The audioconference is supported by an educational grant from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics.