TABLE 2.
Ordering and use of laboratory results by clinicians in Malawi, October–November 2012.
| Variables | All of the time n (%) | Some of the time n (%) | Never n (%) | Total N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use of requested laboratory tests | 151 (70) | 64 (30) | 1 (0) | 216 (100) |
| Queried laboratory results | 4 (2) | 189 (87) | 23 (11) | 216 (100) |
| Requested repeat tests† | ||||
| CD4 count | 4 (2) | 41 (22) | 144 (76) | 189 (100) |
| Malaria | 4 (2) | 110 (53) | 94 (45) | 208 (100) |
| Hb/FBC | 4 (2) | 140 (67) | 66 (31) | 210 (100) |
| Glucose | 1 (1) | 46 (23) | 152 (76) | 199 (100) |
| Tuberculosis microscopy | 0 | 65 (33) | 133 (67) | 198 (100) |
| Bacteriology microscopy and culture | 2 (1) | 52 (26) | 144(73) | 198 (100) |
| Level of confidence in results† | ||||
| CD4 count | 96 (51) | 90 (48) | 3 (1) | 189 (100) |
| Malaria | 74 (35) | 129 (60) | 11 (5) | 214 (100) |
| Hb/FBC | 73 (34) | 134 (63) | 6 (3) | 213 (100) |
| Glucose | 105 (52) | 94 (47) | 3 (1) | 202 (100) |
| Tuberculosis microscopy | 74 (36) | 128 (61) | 6 (3) | 208 (100) |
| Bacteriology microscopy and culture | 51 (30) | 101 (60) | 16 (10) | 157 (100) |
Hb, Haemoglobin; FBC, Full blood count.
†, Interviewed clinicians who had never ordered the test were not included in the analysis. Percentages were calculated based on the number of respondents per row.