Clinical microbiology includes bacteriology and antimicrobial
susceptibility testing, virology, parasitology, mycobacteriology, mycology,
serology and molecular microbiology. Unlike the core laboratory(chemistry/hematology), where the majority of testing is performed
on highly automated analyzers, most testing in microbiology is
performed manually or on semi-automated platforms. Many microbiology
tests also require interpretation by a skilled microbiology technologist,
including visual interpretation of culture results and microscopic
examinations. For these reasons the unit cost of microbiology testing
is usually greater than that for routine automated testing. The results
of microbiology tests have a significant impact on the overall cost of
clinical care, most notably in the use and selection of antimicrobial