The Cost of Pre-Analytical Errors in INR Testing at a Tertiary-Care Hospital Laboratory: Potential for Significant Cost Savings.

Background: Preanalytical errors account for most laboratory errors. Although the frequencies of preanalytical errors are well characterized in the literature, little is known regarding the costs of these errors to the laboratory.

Objective: To analyze costs associated with preanalytical errors associated with the international normalized ratio (INR) test.