Best Practice in Primary Care Pathology: review 3
William Stuart A Smellie 1*
1 Bishop Auckland Hospital, United Kingdom
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: info{at}smellie.com.
Accepted 3 November 2005
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Abstract |
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This third best practice review examines four series of common primary care questions in laboratory medicine: (i) 'minor' blood platelet count and haemoglobin abnormalities, (ii) diagnosis and monitoring of iron deficiency anaemia , (iii) secondary hyperlipidaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia and (iv) HbA1c and microalbumin use in diabetes. The review is presented in question-answer format, referenced for each question series. The recommendations represent a précis of guidance found using a standardised literature search of national and international guidance notes, consensus statements, health policy documents and evidence-based medicine reviews, supplemented by MEDLINE EMBASE searches to identify relevant primary research documents. They are not standards but form a guide to be set in the clinical context. Most are consensus rather than evidence-based. They will be updated periodically to take account of new information.
Key Words:
Appropriateness, Best practice, Demand control, Evidence based medicine, Interdisciplinary
