Effectiveness of Practices to Support Appropriate Laboratory Test Utilization: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of practices used to support appropriate clinical laboratory test utilization.

Methods: This review followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Laboratory Medicine Best Practices A6 cycle method. Eligible studies assessed one of the following practices for effect on outcomes relating to over- or underutilization: computerized provider order entry (CPOE), clinical decision support systems/tools (CDSS/CDST), education, feedback, test review, reflex testing, laboratory test utilization (LTU) teams, and any combination of these practices.

Lipoprotein Biomarkers and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) Systematic Review.

Background: Controversy exists about the incremental utility of nontraditional lipid biomarkers [e.g., apolipoprotein (apo) B, apo A-I, and non-HDL-C] in improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction when added to a conventional model of traditional risk factors (e.

Evidence based practice and advanced competencies in a MHS-CLS program.

The goals, curriculum, implementation, and immediate impacts of an entry-level Master of Health Science in Clinical Laboratory Science (MHS-CLS) degree are described as compared to the baccalaureate program (BS-CLS) in the same institution. The MHS-CLS program was instituted in fall semester, 2008; the inaugural class graduated in spring semester 2010. To document the need for the MHS-CLS, program statistics, such as the number of students entering the current BS-CLS program with previous baccalaureate degrees, numbers of students graduating with biology and chemistry degrees in the United States, CLS workforce shortages and pending retirement statistics were used.

The roles of the clinical laboratory scientist: educator, consultant, advocate.

Advances in clinical laboratory medicine have created an opportunity for clinical laboratory scientists to assume a new role--the role of educator in the integrated healthcare system. A gap created between critical laboratory test results and medical decisions requires the translation of laboratory results into meaningful clinical guidelines. This article suggests three ways the clinical laboratory scientist can fill this gap.

Evaluating distance learning in clinical laboratory science.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any significant differences in academic performance between distance students and on-campus students in clinical laboratory science.

Design: A quantitative causal comparative research design was used.

Setting: The research study was conducted at an academic health sciences university in the eastern United States.