Nurses', Physician Assistants', and Physicians' Attitudes on Overuse of Lab Testing

Routine daily laboratory testing among clinically stable patients is wasteful and diminishes healthcare value. Although advanced practice providers (APPs; i.e., nurse practitioners and physician assistants) increasingly care for hospitalized patients and order tests, the contribution of nonphysician providers to unnecessary inpatient laboratory testing is unknown. Researchers conducted an anonymous email survey to evaluate differences in attitudes and beliefs regarding laboratory testing among APPs, registered nurses (RNs), and physicians (attendings and trainees) at one institution.

Of 837 respondents, 60% reported unnecessary laboratory testing on their units (RNs, 46%; APPs, 59%; attending physicians, 72%; trainees, 79%), and 37% of respo…