About LMBP

The Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) initiative was launched in 2006 by the Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Initiative’s purpose is to establish an evidence-based process for identifying best practices for quality improvement.

Why Apply Evidence-based Decision Making in Laboratory Medicine

Within the last decade, systematic review methods have improved evidence-based decision-making and made it more transparent. Existing approaches do not apply to laboratory medicine quality improvement practices, because published literature is limited and laboratory practices vary widely. To address this, LMBP systematic evidence reviews include the collection of unpublished data from quality improvement projects.

Using evidence to evaluate practice effectiveness allows laboratory professionals and healthcare stakeholders to:

• Determine “What Works”
• Improve patient care and outcomes
• Inform decision-making
• Promote transparency accountability

Evidence-based decision-making involves:

• Reviewing and evaluating the evidence available for a particular topic
• Explicitly linking public health or clinical practice recommendations to the scientific evidence of effectiveness