Accessibility of special clinical laboratory tests in Hungary

Abstract

The Hungarian Society of Laboratory Medicine launches a Laboratory Assay Finder after more than a year of preparatory work. The purpose is that all laboratory and clinical specialists can have access to a nationwide availabilty of special clinical laboratory testings. This is achieved by an SQL database that can be managed from an “admin” surface. The selection of various colour coded diagnostic area exemplify individual filters in the database. The requested test can easily be found either by listing the assays or the diagnoses and special search can be executed via PHP. During preliminary discussions the following basic considerations were accepted: the Assay Finder does not contain basic laboratory tests (e.g. bilirubin or prothrombin time) and within the specified fields there may also be tests that are not listed. The reason behind is that several tests are only worth doing in panels or blocks like studying CD markers in leukemias or carrying out an immunofixation after protein electrophoresis. Also tests like antithrombin III activity or FSH and LH were not separately uploaded only as parts of the complete thrombophilia or infertility panels. By providing a login and password we would like to make this webpage accessible to all colleagues. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 2056–2062.