18 | VALUE OF DIAGNOSTICS THROUGHOUT THE PATIENT PATHWAY | 2021
collect evidence and understand the cost benefits of these operations . It is essential that hospital administrators , clinicians , and laboratory personnel collaborate and recognise the valuable role each of them plays in the organisation .
The communications and interactions established between the laboratory and the clinic may thus affect the delivery of test results in a timely manner and , ultimately , impact patient care . ASPs in hospitals can act as a bridge between the laboratory and the clinic and are efficient frameworks to overcome some of these obstacles through educational initiatives , evaluation of work tasks , and expansion of point-of-care test services to further improve laboratory services . 19
Conclusion Modern developments in healthcare technology , including rapid diagnostic testing and CDSS , have been shown to have a significant and positive impact on patient care . Nevertheless , rapid pathogen identification , antimicrobial susceptibility testing , and communication to the treating physician do not replace a thorough clinical examination and should be seen as complementary , and important , attributes of clinical care , and not simply a replacement . Diagnostic stewardship programmes , which represent a coordinated user-based intervention , should be used to promote an evidence-based utilisation of diagnostic tests with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of patient care . With clinicians facing increasingly complex medical problems and an ever-expanding range of diagnostic tests , it is essential that the laboratory and clinical staff work collaboratively to improve outcomes for patients .
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