Use of laboratory services and communication of results to patients in an urban practice: an audit.

The pattern of investigations in an urban practice of 4200 patients was monitored over an eight-week period. An assessment was made of the characteristics of patients who sought the results of their investigations.During the study period there were 1522 consultations and 186 investigations were carried out on 155 patients. More females were investigated than males (3.4:1) with most tests among 31-40 year old women. At the end of the study period only 95 patients (61.3%) knew the results of their tests and of 34 abnormal results nine were not relayed to patients. The probability of a patient collecting a result was not influenced by the patient's age or sex, the reason for carrying out the test or the instructions given by the doctor for collection of the result. Abnormal test results were more likely to be collected than normal results.These findings suggest that many practice systems of relaying information to patients need modifying. Whose responsibility it should be to pass on the results of patients' investigations is discussed.