New research from doctors at Johns Hopkins University and other organizations reveals repetitive lab testing for hospitalized patients is costly and unnecessary. Constant blood draws can also lead to hospital-acquired anemia and a variety of complications.
A paper published last month in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal found that unnecessary blood draws can deplete a patient’s hemoglobin count, often leading to unnecessary repeat testing.
As a result, 20% of hospitalized patients can develop moderate to severe hospital-acquired anemia. This spiral may then lead to additional unnecessary tests, interventions and costs.
