Abstract
Background and Objective: Taking an accurate history and establishing physical examination are the main components of preoperative patients assessment. However, currently neumerous diagnostic and laboratory tests are performed in patients candidated for operation, as preoperative routine tests. These tests partly have no indications and even their abnormal results maybe unuseful in the patient care process during and after operation.
Materials and Methods: This study has developed for evaluation of cost – effectiveness in preoperative routine tests. The study has performed retrospectively through gathering information from 500 patients admitted in the surgery wards of hospitals related to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.
Results: The results showed that 68 percent of preoperative routine tests appear to be performed in patients without known indications for that test. Abnormal results of tests without indication including 0.15 percents of cases, were not »significant«; that is, they had no effect on the surgery or anesthesia or patient care processes.
Conclusion: This study suggests the unusefulness of preoperative routine tests and emphasizes that selective use of diagnostic tests regarding to history and physical examination is the most effective method for screening the patients preoperatively. So, cost – effectivenessly, canceling a part of diagnostic tests can decrease in as much as 2 billion Rials from the cost of health and treatment annually in East – Azarbaijan, without causing disorder in patients care processes.