Blood tests in general practice: the use of routine data to characterise venous blood testing in North West London, 2016-2018.
Br J Gen Pract
; 70(suppl 1)2020 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32554682
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Laboratory testing is an integral diagnostic tool, contributing to 70% of diagnoses in the NHS today. Its use has been steadily increasing despite estimates that ≤40% of blood tests ordered are unnecessary. Understanding blood-testing patterns is a fundamental step to tackling overuse.AIM:
To characterise the volume, type, and per patient frequency (PPF) of venous blood testing reported in general practice in North West London, 2016-2018.METHOD:
Following ethics clearance, aggregate data of blood tests reported in general practice in North West London between 2016 and 2018 were extracted from the Discover database. Non-venous blood test codes and codes not used within the designated time period were excluded. Codes reporting the same analyte were aggregated. Overall volume and PPF were calculated per analyte.RESULTS:
Three hundred and thirty-six individual analytes were reported and grouped into 35 recognised panels or groupings. Blood testing increased by 16.5% over the 3-year period. Full blood count, urea and electrolytes, liver function tests, and lipid profile accounted for 80.4% of all venous blood tests. Requests for HbA1c increased by 52.8% and non-HDL cholesterol by 148.7%, whereas glucose decreased by 13.3% and urea by 15.7%. The PPF remained unchanged over the 3-year period at 1.29 blood tests per person per year. The coagulation assay had the highest PPF at 3.0.CONCLUSION:
Routine general practice data revealed important trends in blood testing. Trends uncovered can inform innovative and targeted solutions to reduce unnecessary blood testing.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Br J Gen Pract
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article