Changes in Access to Comprehensive Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Testing in Tennessee From 2019–2024
A substantial decline in the number of Tier 1 clinical microbiology laboratories in Tennessee between 2019 and 2024 has decreased local access to comprehensive testing in areas with at-risk patient populations. This may have implications for timely diagnosis, appropriate antimicrobial therapy, and, ultimately, patient outcomes. Further research is needed to evaluate the clinical and economic consequences of these changes in laboratory access.
Authors
- Romney M. Humphries (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6568-156X)
- Garrett S. Booth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8422-9480)
- Russell Bowden
- Kaleb Wolfe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9282-3597)
- William D. Dupont (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8166-599X)
- Stephanie A Hart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8502-5834)
- Ayesha Khan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1896-4022)
- Stacy Curry‐Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1157-9519)
- Joesph R Wiencek
- W Dale Plummer
Institutions
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Tennessee Department of Health (US)
- University of Kansas Medical Center (US)
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Open Forum Infectious Diseases
- Published
- 2026-02-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofag061
- Primary Topic
- Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00