Use of comprehensive laboratory data as a management tool.

Studies of the use of laboratory data in cost-control management yield the following conclusions: (1) Comprehensive medical information is a valuable medical resource; (2) problems in practice frequently involve poor data utilization, and difficulties with data acquisition are frequently secondary phenomena; (3) current regulations limiting the acquisition of data may be counterproductive in worsening care while raising costs. If continued, the long-term effects on knowledge generation can be expected to be devastating; (4) good medicine is cost effective; (5) poor medicine is expensive, both in human and economic terms; and (6) good medical care requires a patient-oriented data base, a clinical decision-support system, a feed-back mechanism so that effectiveness of the system may be evaluated on an ongoing basis, and adequately trained medical technology personnel.