How long has Laboratory Stewardship existed?

The answer might surprise you.

I used to think Laboratory Stewardship was a new concept only recently gaining importance in healthcare. However, when thinking back over my years as a practicing pathologist, I remember countless conversations around the lab where we lamented obvious overuse or misuse of lab tests. Anyone who’s spent time with phlebotomists can also attest to how often tests are ordered inappropriately. Unfortunately, we also know in many instances this could have contributed to iatrogenic anemia or other poor outcomes.

If laboratory stewardship has been an issue for my entire career, exactly how far back can we identify laboratory stewardship as an issue? It’s highly likely that once urinalysis was described by Sumerian and Babylonian physicians around 4000 BC, the first discussion regarding appropriate test utilization occurred shortly thereafter. While laboratory stewardship is not often discussed in historical literature, some evidence does exist. Recently, as part of the 100-year anniversary of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, I reviewed an article written in 1922 by Dr F.P. McNamara in The Modern Hospital (see link). It turns out order sets, overutilization and underutilization have been with us for at least a century and Dr McNamara’s voice is still loud and clear today! I hope you have a few minutes to enjoy the article and reflect on how laboratory stewardship has always been an issue for our profession and how together we can improve the delivery of healthcare

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER-  https://criticalvalues.org/news/item/2022/02/14/a-century-of-hospital-laboratory-stewardship