Survey of Medical Prescriptions for the Number of Laboratory Tests in 2011-2016 in Alborz Province, Iran

The advance in technology has improved the quality and timely access to laboratory services, besides increased costs. Approximately, 70% of clinical decisions are made based on laboratory results. For cost management in the health system, the role of the number of requested tests is unclear in health quality. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the number of laboratory tests in medical prescriptions in the Alborz province of Iran.

In a descriptive-analytic study, the number of requested laboratory tests was extracted from medical prescriptions issued to the Social Security Organisation and the Iranian Health Insurance in the province of Alborz between 2011 and 2016. The data were analyzed by Excel.

The results showed that between 2011 and 2016, the number of laboratory tests issued to the two main health insurance schemes of Iran, with the highest population coverage, was increasing. In 2011 and 2016, the average number of tests requested per person was 3.4 and 5.6, respectively.

The requests for laboratory tests or irrational administrations may increase for various reasons, including lack of knowledge, laziness, fear, greed, and induced demand. It is suggested that standard guidelines be developed using the results of this study and similar studies for requesting laboratory tests by doctors.