Results of Laboratory Tests not Accessed in Brazilian Private Laboratories.

Background: Laboratory medicine is an important part of the healthcare system and directly contributes to preventive actions, diagnostics, treatment, and management of diseases. The level and quality of the utilization of laboratory resources have been frequently questioned. A dissemination of conflicting data regarding the quantity of laboratory tests not accessed by the requesting doctors or by the patients themselves is observed, although very often the sources and methodologies used to raise those numbers are not properly clarified.