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Table 63

Performance of laboratory services in family physician* practice settings, October 2006.


Laboratory Service Total(N=850) Perform Test in my Office Collect Specimen & Send to Outside Lab Do Not Order in my Practice Not Reported
Dipstick/tablet urinalysis 100 97.5 1.2 0.3 1.0
Fecal occult blood 100 92.2 5.0 1.3 1.5
Urine pregnancy test 100 87.2 4.4 5.3 3.0
Rapid strep (direct antigen) 100 86.5 6.0 5.9 1.5
Vaginal smear/wet mount 100 76.6 12.9 7.1 3.4
Glucose, using a waived instrument 100 68.3 6.8 13.6 11.4
Urine microscopic exam 100 61.1 32.4 3.9 2.6
Glucose, visual whole blood dipstick 100 35.3 14.1 37.6 13.0
Infectious mononucleosis screen 100 39.2 48.2 6.7 5.9
Hemoglobin by HemoCue (waived method) 100 34.6 16.1 38.4 10.9
Prothrombin time 100 39.0 47.1 7.6 6.2
Hemoglobin (automated nonwaived method) 100 30.3 47.3 13.8 8.6
CBC 100 26.9 60.7 5.8 6.6
Spun microhematocrit (waived method) 100 24.6 22.2 40.6 12.7
Hematocrit (automated, non-waived method) 100 26.6 50.4 15.0 8.1
Differential (automated) 100 24.0 62.2 6.5 7.3
Cholesterol 100 24.0 64.2 5.5 6.3
Triglycerides 100 23.4 64.4 5.6 6.6
Glucose (nonwaived method) 100 24.1 59.6 8.0 8.3
HDL cholesterol 100 23.2 64.6 5.6 6.6
Strep or throat culture 100 17.7 72.3 4.7 5.2
Differential (manual) 100 14.8 64.5 11.4 9.2
SGPT (ALT) 100 18.6 68.8 5.3 7.3
Electrolytes 100 16.6 70.3 6.4 6.7
Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 100 16.6 70.4 6.2 6.8
Creatinine 100 16.5 70.6 6.2 6.8
SGOT (AST) 100 17.6 69.3 5.5 7.6
Uric acid 100 11.8 74.8 6.2 7.2
Gram stain (vaginal and urethral discharge) 100 7.8 61.1 23.7 7.4
Urine colony count 100 9.4 71.3 12.1 7.1
Gram stain (other than vaginal and urethral discharge) 100 7.5 64.1 20.8 7.5
Urine cultures (presumptive indentification) 100 7.5 82.0 4.5 6.0
Routine culture (other than throat, urine vaginal, or urethral) 100 5.8 81.3 5.7 7.3
Therapeutic drug monitoring tests 100 5.9 78.8 7.5 7.8
Susceptibility (antimicrobial sensitivity testing) 100 5.7 83.2 4.5 6.6
GC cultures 100 6.1 81.2 6.6 6.1

*Includes only active member respondents of the American Academy of Family Physicians.


Source: American Academy of Family Physicians, Practice Profile II Survey, October 2006.