Final answer:
Lab tests are crucial in medical practice, aiding in diagnosis, fulfilling third-party payer requirements, assessing disease stage, and measuring therapy response. For instance, A1C and fasting blood glucose tests are used to manage diabetes, while specific tests like antibody/antigen tests are used for HIV diagnosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lab tests serve various critical purposes in medical practice. Among their core functions are: A) Aids in diagnosis, B) Meets requirements of third-party payers such as insurance companies, C) Provides information about the stage of a disease process, and E) Measures response to therapy.
Answer D is not typically a direct function of lab tests, as they do not reduce the need for medication therapy, but rather inform medication choices and effectiveness.
For example, endocrinologists rely on lab tests, such as the fasting blood glucose test and the A1C test, to diagnose and manage diabetes mellitus.
The A1C test is particularly useful as it measures average blood glucose levels over two to three months, providing an understanding of long-term glucose management.
Additionally, for HIV, hospitals perform specific tests to determine the presence of the virus, such as antibody/antigen tests or nucleic acid tests (NAT), which are essential for diagnosis and monitoring the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART).