Characteristics of Two Practices Implementing the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Improving Your Laboratory Testing Process Toolkit
| Practice Characteristics | General Internal Medicine Practice | Family Medicine Residency Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Number of clinicians | 4 physicians, 1 physician assistant | 34 physicians (24 residents, 10 faculty) |
| Average number of patients per week | 160/week | 486/week |
| Setting | Small metropolitan (50,000 to 250,000) | Medium metropolitan (250,001 to 1000,000 people) |
| Majority ownership of practice | Integrated delivery system | Medical school |
| Quality improvement team | Yes; meets weekly | Yes; meets 1 to 2 times per month |
| Number of years using electronic health records | 8 years | 14 years |
| Communication of lab results (portal, phone, and/or letter) | All three, depending on patient or provider preference; | All three, depending on patient or provider preference; |
| Phone call used for urgent results | Phone call used for urgent results | |
| Lab interface process | Bidirectional | Bidirectional |
| Patient population | ||
| Children (under 18 years of age) | 0% | 36% |
| Adult (between 18 and 64 years of age) | 79% | 56% |
| Adult (Age 65 years and older) | 21% | 8% |