The purpose of Fischbach’s Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, in this 11th edition, is to promote the delivery of safe, effective, and informed care for patients undergoing diagnostic tests and procedures and also to provide students, educators, researchers, healthcare providers, and others with a unique resource. This comprehensive manual provides a foundation for understanding diagnostic tests, from the relatively simple to the most complex, that are delivered to varied populations in varied settings. It describes in depth the healthcare provider’s role by providing the information necessary for quality care planning, individualized patient assessment, analysis of patient needs, appropriate interventions, patient education, patient follow-up, and outcome evaluation.

Potential risks and complications of diagnostic testing mandate that proper test protocols, interfering factors, follow-up testing, and collaboration among those involved in the testing process be a significant part of the information included in this text.