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American Journal of Medical Quality, Vol. 21, No. 3, 178-184 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1062860605285049

Follow-up of Outpatient Test Results: A Survey of House-Staff Practices and Perceptions

Jenny J. Lin, MD

Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, jennyj.lin{at}mountsinai.org

Andrew Dunn, MD

Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York

Carlton Moore, MD

Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York

Failure to follow up outpatient test results is a potential patient safety concern; however, data about how house-staff physicians follow up on tests are sparse. The authors sought to assess internal medicine house-staff practices and perceptions regarding the follow-up of outpatient tests and identified barriers to timely follow-up. Seventy-five of 111 eligible house staff at a large urban teaching hospital (68%) completed the survey. Seventy-four percent reported they were sometimes unable to follow up on test results, 78% were at least somewhat worried about inadequate follow-up, and 46% stated that they have seen a patient’s medical condition worsen due to a delay in test result follow-up at least a few times a year. Barriers to timely follow-up included lack of a reminder system (40%), difficulty accessing results (24%), too many competing demands on time (27%), and uncertainty about who should follow up on results (16%).

Key Words: ambulatory care • laboratory tests • patient safety • house staff


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