Value of new laboratory tests in diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract Requests for laboratory investigations have quadrupled during the past decade. The increasing load of laboratory work is consuming a large amount of resources, and staffing the laboratory service will become even more difficult if the expansion continues at the present rate. There is a need for research studies of factors which lead to requests for such tests and of action taken on test results. Trials on the effect of investigations in improving the outcome for patients must also be carried out. However, perhaps the most crucial factor in dealing with this increased demand in the immediate future is to apply the suggested yardsticks rigorously before introducing any new test into routine clinical practice.