The American Society for Microbiology collaboration with the CDC Laboratory Medicine Best Practices initiative for evidence-based laboratory medicine.

Abstract

SUMMARYClinical medicine has embraced the use of evidence for patient treatment decisions; however, the evaluation strategy for evidence in laboratory medicine practices has lagged. It was not until the end of the 20th century that the Institute of Medicine (IOM), now the National Academy of Medicine, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Systems (CDC DLS), focused on laboratory tests and how testing processes can be designed to benefit patient care. In collaboration with CDC DLS, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) used an evidence review method developed by the CDC DLS to develop a program for creating laboratory testing guidelines and practices. The CDC DLS method is called the Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) initiative and uses the A-6 cycle method. Adaptations made by ASM are called Evidence-based Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines (EBLMPG). This review details how the ASM Systematic Review (SR) Processes were developed and executed collaboratively with CDC's DLS. The review also describes the ASM transition from LMBP to the organization's current EBLMPG, maintaining a commitment to working with agencies in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other partners to ensure that EBLMPG evidence is readily understood and consistently used.