THE FISCAL CONSEQUENCES OF CENTRAL VS DISTRIBUTED TESTING OF GLUCOSE

We have compared the operational, medical, and fiscal consequences of performing urgent glucose testing at the bedside vs in the central lab oratory. The turnaround time (TAT) with bedside testing was only 1-2 m in shorter than that from the central laboratory, to which specimens a re sent by pneumatic tube and from which results are automatically bro adcast by computer to the originating site. No significant adverse med ical outcomes were associated with this difference in TAT. The cost of bedside testing is approximately twice that of central laboratory tes ting.