Impact of an anemia diagnostic management team on follow-up test ordering by primary care providers.

Abstract

Background: Anemia is a complex condition with diverse causes and poses diagnostic challenges amid the expanding landscape of laboratory testing. Implementation of an anemia diagnostic management team (DMT) can aid health care providers in navigating this complexity.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study assessed the impact of an anemia DMT on laboratory test ordering by primary care providers for anemic patients. This study included adult patients (≥18 years) with anemia (hemoglobin <12.0 g/dL for nonpregnant women, hemoglobin <13.0 g/dL for men) presenting to a family medicine clinic. Cases reviewed by the DMT (n = 100) were compared with a control group (n = 95).

Results: The DMT recommended additional testing for 76 patients. Significantly more patients in the DMT group underwent follow-up tests compared with controls (59% vs 34%; P < .001). Moreover, the DMT group underwent a higher mean number of tests per patient (1.70 ± 2.2 vs 0.95 ± 1.9; P = .01).

Conclusion: Implementation of an anemia DMT influenced follow-up testing patterns in anemic patients, potentially enhancing diagnostic thoroughness and patient care.