RSM logo
Annals of Clinical Biochemistry

Home Current issue Browse archive Alerts About the journal Feedback
 
This version was published on 1 July 2009
Ann Clin Biochem 2009;46:316-321
doi:10.1258/acb.2009.008240
© 2009 Association for Clinical Biochemistry

This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
acb.2009.008240v1
46/4/316    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Franceschini, R.
Right arrow Articles by Gion, M.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Original Articles

Tumour markers requesting pattern with regards to different organizational settings in Italy: a survey of hospital laboratories

Roberta Franceschini1, Chiara Trevisiol1, Ruggero Dittadi2 and Massimo Gion1,2,3


1 Association ABO for the Application of Biotechnologies in Oncology c/o Centre for the Study of Biological Markers of Malignancy; 2 Unit of Laboratory Medicine; 3 Centre for the Study of Biological Markers of Malignancy/Consortium Istituto Oncologico Veneto I.R.C.C.S., Regional Hospital, AULSS 12, Venice, Italy


Corresponding author: Dr Roberta Franceschini. Email: laboratorioabo_firb{at}yahoo.it and cnabo{at}ulss12.ve.it

Background: Tumour markers are frequently used in clinical practice and the reason for ordering varies considerably and often seems to be inappropriate. We carried out a survey of Italian laboratories on their current pattern of use.

Methods: Forty-four laboratories located in health-care institutions with inpatient beds were surveyed about the organizational, clinical and methodological aspects of tumour markers ordering.

Results: Thirty-one laboratories (70%) filled in and returned the questionnaire. Overall, 977,786 tumour marker tests were scrutinized. The pattern of tumour marker use did not seem to be influenced by the institutional setting, by availability of oncology facilities or by adoption of clinical guidelines. In addition, the information flow from clinicians to the laboratory and vice versa was poor and informal.

Conclusions: Monitoring tumour marker pattern use can provide valuable information for health-care decision makers, highlighting potential inadequacies in laboratory services but also identifying problems in other areas of health-care delivery that could benefit from educational programmes.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?




MDU Exam Doctor

 RSM Journals - Obstetric Medicine George Guthrie