Follow-up of outpatient test results: a survey of house-staff practices and perceptions.

This study discovered that nearly 75% of internal medicine residents reported difficulty in following up on test results, with almost one-half citing that the patient's condition deteriorated due to these delays. The authors describe the most commonly reported barriers to timely follow-up (eg, lack of a reminder system, too many competing demands) and discuss the need to address these system deficiencies.