Abstract
I did not read the first edition of this book but if it is half as good as this one I really missed out. Even though it is published by the AACC Press it is highly applicable to UK and indeed worldwide readership. The editors, as well as making valuable contributions themselves, have pulled together an international cast of experts in fields related to evidence-based medicine. Potential readers must realize that it covers more than some may infer from the title. The obvious issues are more than adequately discussed but is also full of other relevant and interesting information. The well-referenced chapters allow it to be used as a reference textbook as well as being useful on a day-to-day basis.
The book covers the non-core clinical topics that all people currently working in laboratory medicine have to be aware of, and indeed, may have to use in their daily practice. To mention a few, chapters are included on ‘The impact of analytical performance on outcomes’, ‘Critical appraisal of evidence’ and ‘The role of clinical audit in laboratory medicine’. Valuable information is provided on how to obtain information, how to undertake the complete range of reviews and manage demand, and it even takes us back to basics in making us think about the diagnostic process, including normality and reference ranges. There are easy to understand chapters on widely used methodologies for analysing data such as receiver-operating curves and the use of likelihood ratios. There is a very informative chapter on systematic review and meta-analysis. This statistical information may be bread and butter to some but even to those who would not need to use such tools as they would not be setting up and running such studies, many or most of us have the need to interpret them. This book instructs us to do both.
Of particular potential benefit are the use of examples, or vignettes, to illustrate the points being made such as descriptive audits and the use of practical examples to illustrate statistical principles. Many of these use clinical biochemical examples, but are also applicable to a wide range of clinicians. At the end of some of the chapters are ‘thought provoking exercises’, which apart from being useful, are also fun. Many of these examples could be given to or be used by staff as part of continuing professional development programmes, for use in clinical governance or to evaluate their laboratory's performance. Topics widely used as examination or interview questions are explored, such as ‘What do you need to consider when introducing new tests?’ or ‘What are the benefits of using information technology?’.
This is a book that ought to be readily accessible to all laboratory medicine staff. It provides useful reference material that one might have to normally access from statistical textbooks. It covers issues being discussed as part of the reviews being undertaken on pathology services, for example, how to add value to laboratory reports. It also provides tools to allow us to undertake the various aspects of clinical governance, such as service review (audit) and the use of evidence-based practice. Information is provided on issues and situations which would be met on a day-to-day basis. It should also be recommended to readers' hospital and university libraries as it is packed full of valuable information of use to clinicians in the broadest sense of the word and those interested in clinical issues. There are many books written about the topics covered in this book, but what Price and Christenson have successfully done is to pull them together in one easily read format with particular relevance to people working in laboratory medicine.