On the assimilation of laboratory data by general medical practitioners

Abstract The authors briefly consider the system by which General Medical Practitioners in the UK can obtain laboratory investigation as a supporting technical service for their medical practice. A descriptive model is advanced for the way in which laboratory derived data can be integrated with clinical data. The model incorporates the practitioners prior assessment at the time the laboratory investigation is initiated, the intention behind the investigation, the nature of the investigation, the interpretation of the result, and the value and outcome which can be attributed to the result of the investigation. These were found to be interlocking themes in the results of a large scale survey of how General Medical Practitioners actually responded on receipt of laboratory data. The results provide a scenario against which changes in the allocation of resources can be better judged.