What should the clinician expect from the microbiology laboratory?

Many physicians do not know what they should expect from the microbiology laboratoy. What physicians need from the microbiology laboratory varies according to type of patient and type of physician. The laboratory should provide information that will affect clinical management guidelines for obtaining specimens, microbial identification, antimicrobial susceptibilities, rapid collection of material, and reporting of data and educational updating. Data are needed to establish how the physician responds to microbiologic reports.