The impact of reimbursement changes on doctors' office testing.

Most of the recent changes that have revolutionized the way health care is financed include powerful pecuniary incentives to move care out of the hospital and into such outpatient settings as doctors' offices. However, many of these changes also include aggressive utilization reviews with stiff penalties for noncompliance. Thus, although doctors' office testing will continue to expand, this growth may bring more external oversight into doctors' offices.