Preworking hour reporting of inpatient blood tests with early morning specimen collection

Abstract

The quality of medical care can be improved by detecting a patient’s condition early, leading to prompt diagnosis and treatment. We developed an organizational framework for preworking hour reporting of inpatients’ blood samples in April 2013; around 7:30 AM, medical technologists collected inpatients’ blood samples, which were immediately measured. Consequently, about 80% of urgently required blood test results were reported before 9:00 AM. In addition, the peak number of blood samples being analyzed at the laboratory and the mean turn-around time (TAT) of total blood tests between 8:30 AM and 9:30 AM decreased. We have been improving preworking hour reporting, and the mean TAT has decreased with increasing number of blood samples collected before 8:00 AM over 30 months since the new organizational framework was implemented.