Guide to lab test utilization

This content is intended for healthcare professionals.

As the fields of laboratory medicine and diagnostic testing continue to grow at an incredible rate, the knowledge and expertise of clinical laboratory professionals is essential to ensure that patients received the highest quality and most useful laboratory tests.

The Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine’s (ADLM) Academy and Science and Practice Core Committee have developed a test utilization resource focusing on commonly misused tests in hospitals and clinics. Improper test utilization can result in poor patient outcomes and waste in the healthcare system. This important resource geared toward medical professionals recommends better tests and diagnostic practices.

Always consult your laboratory director to make sure these recommendations are appropriate for your patient population.

To recommend a test of limited clinical utility or suboptimal utilization that has sufficient evidence to formulate impactful recommendations, follow this link to fill out our test recommendation form.

The content for Optimal Testing: ADLM’s Guide to Lab Test Utilization has been developed and approved by the the Academy of Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine and ADLM’s Science and Practice Core Committee.