Progress of the Laboratory Consultation Office in Kyoto Prefectural University Hospital

: In an attempt to assist the clinical physicians at the outpatient clinics in Kyoto Prefectural University Hospital, we opened the laboratory consultation office in January 2005. This office is staffed by one medical technologist from 9 am to 4 pm on weekdays. The technologist shows the laboratory examination result of respective patient, and then explains the significance of reference interval using the personal computer. Additional explanation such about the mechanism of abnormal result or the general interpretation of diagnostic tests is also performed according to the patients' demands. Whereas, as the major premise, the consulting technologist never comments to the patients on the clinical relevance between their laboratory results and their own disease courses. Until March 2006, 1,430 outpatients have visited the office in total, resulting in 6.1 patients/day as mean value. Almost all of the visitors (97.9%) wanted to listen to the meaning of liver function test, which was followed by renal function test (95.3%). Consulting time required for respective patient has been quite variable from 10 to 120 minutes (30 minutes/patient as mean). The questionnaire survey after consultation revealed that all of the visitors felt satisfactory for consultation, and wanted to revisit to our laboratory consultation office. We believe that the laboratory consultation office contributes as a new medical service of our hospital to outpatients.