The Burden of Add-On Orders in a Laboratory With Manual Processing

2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S16-S16
Author(s):  
Mohammad Barouqa ◽  
Roger Fecher ◽  
Lucia R Wolgast ◽  
Stefanie Forest
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Original Specimen ◽  
Work List ◽  
Outpatient Departments ◽  
Manual Processing

Abstract In order to avoid additional blood draws for their patients, clinicians frequently order add-on tests on existing specimens in the laboratory. Manually processing these add-ons is problematic, utilizes tremendous resources, and raises concerns regarding specimen integrity. The objective of this study was to analyze add-on ordering patterns and assess the time and resources required to complete these orders. In this retrospective study conducted at a large, multisite, academic medical center, a report was generated from the laboratory information system (LIS) to identify all the add-on orders that were placed with details about the type of add-on test, which specimen it was added to, and location from where an add-on order was placed for a 2-month period (August 5 to October 4, 2018). The workflow was observed and financial cost was calculated. The laboratory received 5,658 add-on orders during the study period. By laboratory protocol, 859 tests were cancelled, leaving 4,799 tests to be processed. Add-on orders were most common for liver tests (7.48%), creatine kinase (6.35%), troponin (6.31%), vancomycin level (5.93%), thyroid-stimulating hormone (4.91%), magnesium (4.81%), and vitamin B12 (4.33%). The add-on orders were mainly generated for inpatient (74.07%) followed by emergency (17.79%) and outpatient departments (8.12%). The add-on request is placed by the clinical provider in the hospital information system (HIS) as a generic “Add-on Order” test, with free text to specify the test and specimen. A clerk in the laboratory uses the LIS-generated work list to electronically order the requested tests to the original specimen. Subsequently, a clerk must manually locate the original specimen and deliver it to the performing lab to run the add-on test. The median turnaround time from the provider placing the generic add-on order in the HIS to the lab placing the add-on in the LIS is 119 minutes. The median time for the provider to place an add-on after the initial order is 462 minutes. The average time needed to monitor the add-on work list, electronically place the add-on to the original order, and retrieve the sample for one test for a skilled senior statistical clerk is 7 minutes. The average number of add-on requests received daily is 71. Therefore, the daily time to process add-ons is 497 minutes (8.2 hours). Based on the hourly cost and fringe in the laboratory ($28.92/hour), these add-on tests cost $237/day in labor ($86,000/year). Our study demonstrates the significant cost and labor burden of add-on tests in a laboratory with manual processing. The laboratory is considering transitioning to direct provider ordering of add-ons to existing specimens using laboratory-defined rules in the HIS and moving to total laboratory automation with robotic specimen archival and retrieval to reduce the manual efforts, which would streamline the add-on workflow.

scholarly journals Utility of Natural Language Processing for Clinical Quality Measures Reporting

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dino P. Rumoro ◽  
Shital C. Shah ◽  
Gillian S. Gibbs ◽  
Marilyn M. Hallock ◽  
Gordon M. Trenholme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Natural Language Processing ◽  
Natural Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Quality Measures ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Influenza Immunization

ObjectiveTo explain the utility of using an automated syndromic surveillanceprogram with advanced natural language processing (NLP) to improveclinical quality measures reporting for influenza immunization.IntroductionClinical quality measures (CQMs) are tools that help measure andtrack the quality of health care services. Measuring and reportingCQMs helps to ensure that our health care system is deliveringeffective, safe, efficient, patient-centered, equitable, and timely care.The CQM for influenza immunization measures the percentage ofpatients aged 6 months and older seen for a visit between October1 and March 31 who received (or reports previous receipt of) aninfluenza immunization. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionrecommends that everyone 6 months of age and older receive aninfluenza immunization every season, which can reduce influenza-related morbidity and mortality and hospitalizations.MethodsPatients at a large academic medical center who had a visit toan affiliated outpatient clinic during June 1 - 8, 2016 were initiallyidentified using their electronic medical record (EMR). The 2,543patients who were selected did not have documentation of influenzaimmunization in a discrete field of the EMR. All free text notes forthese patients between August 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016 wereretrieved and analyzed using the sophisticated NLP built withinGeographic Utilization of Artificial Intelligence in Real-Timefor Disease Identification and Alert Notification (GUARDIAN)– a syndromic surveillance program – to identify any mention ofinfluenza immunization. The goal was to identify additional cases thatmet the CQM measure for influenza immunization and to distinguishdocumented exceptions. The patients with influenza immunizationmentioned were further categorized by GUARDIAN NLP intoReceived, Recommended, Refused, Allergic, and Unavailable.If more than one category was applicable for a patient, they wereindependently counted in their respective categories. A descriptiveanalysis was conducted, along with manual review of a sample ofcases per each category.ResultsFor the 2,543 patients who did not have influenza immunizationdocumentation in a discrete field of the EMR, a total of 78,642 freetext notes were processed using GUARDIAN. Four hundred fiftythree (17.8%) patients had some mention of influenza immunizationwithin the notes, which could potentially be utilized to meet the CQMinfluenza immunization requirement. Twenty two percent (n=101)of patients mentioned already having received the immunizationwhile 34.7% (n=157) patients refused it during the study time frame.There were 27 patients with the mention of influenza immunization,who could not be differentiated into a specific category. The numberof patients placed into a single category of influenza immunizationwas 351 (77.5%), while 75 (16.6%) were classified into more thanone category. See Table 1.ConclusionsUsing GUARDIAN’s NLP can identify additional patients whomay meet the CQM measure for influenza immunization or whomay be exempt. This tool can be used to improve CQM reportingand improve overall influenza immunization coverage by using it toalert providers. Next steps involve further refinement of influenzaimmunization categories, automating the process of using the NLPto identify and report additional cases, as well as using the NLP forother CQMs.Table 1. Categorization of influenza immunization documentation within freetext notes of 453 patients using NLP

scholarly journals Mounting a Regional Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Another Reason to “Keep” Your Lab

2020 ◽  
Vol 144 (11) ◽  
pp. 1321-1324
Author(s):  
Tamera A. Paczos
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Regional Health ◽  
The Core ◽  
Local Access ◽  
Average Turnaround Time

Context.— Declining reimbursement shifts hospital laboratories from system assets to cost centers. This has resulted in increased outsourcing of laboratory services, which can jeopardize a hospital systems' ability to respond to a health care crisis. Objectives.— To demonstrate that investment in a core laboratory serving an academic medical center equipped a regional health system to respond to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design.— COVID-19 diagnostic testing data were analyzed. Volumes were evaluated by result date (March 16, 2020–May 6, 2020), and the average of received-to-verified turnaround time was calculated and compared for in-house and send-out testing, and different in-house testing methodologies. Results.— Daily viral diagnostic testing capacity increased by greater than 3000% (from 21 tests per day to 658 tests per day). Total viral diagnostic testing reported by the core laboratory increased by 128 times during 22 days of test method validation and 826 times during the analysis period, while average turnaround time per day for send-out testing increased from 3.7 days to 21 days. Decreased overall average turnaround time was observed at the core laboratory (0.45 days) versus send-out testing (7.63 days) (P < .001). Conclusions.— Investment in a core laboratory provided the health system with the necessary expertise and resources to mount a robust response to the pandemic. Local access to testing allowed rapid triage of patients and conservation of scarce personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition, the core laboratory was able to support regional health departments and several hospitals outside of the system.

Documenting presence: A descriptive study of chaplain notes in the intensive care unit

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany M. Lee ◽  
Farr A. Curlin ◽  
Philip J. Choi
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Record ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Patient Care Team ◽  
Free Text

AbstractObjective:To clarify and record their role in the care of patients, hospital chaplains are increasingly called on to document their work in the medical record. Chaplains' documentation, however, varies widely, even within single institutions. Little has been known, however, about the forms that documentation takes in different settings or about how clinicians interpret chaplain documentation. This study aims to examine how chaplains record their encounters in an intensive care unit (ICU).Method:We performed a retrospective chart review of the chaplain notes filed on patients in the adult ICUs at a major academic medical center over a six-month period. We used an iterative process of qualitative textual analysis to code and analyze chaplains' free-text entries for emergent themes.Results:Four primary themes emerged from chaplain documentation. First, chaplains frequently used “code language,” such as “compassionate presence,” to recapitulate interventions already documented elsewhere in a checklist of ministry interventions. Second, chaplains typically described what they observed rather than interpreting its clinical significance. Third, chaplains indicated passive follow-up plans, waiting for patients or family members to request further interaction. Fourth, chaplains sometimes provided insights into particular relationship dynamics.Significance of results:As members of the patient care team, chaplains access the medical record to communicate clinically relevant information. The present study suggests that recent emphasis on evidence-based practice may be leading chaplains, at least in the medical center we studied, to use a reduced, mechanical language insufficient for illuminating patients' individual stories. We hope that our study will promote further consideration of how chaplain documentation can enhance patient care and convey the unique value that chaplains add to the clinical team.

Defining Legacy: The Perceptions of Pediatric Health Care Providers

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (11) ◽  
pp. 1004-1010
Author(s):  
Jessika Boles ◽  
Maile Jones ◽  
Jenna Dunbar ◽  
Jessica Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Pediatric Health ◽  
Pediatric Health Care ◽  
Free Text Response

Legacy building interventions like plaster hand molds are offered in most children’s hospitals, yet little is known about how the concept of legacy is understood and described by pediatric health care providers. Therefore, this study explored pediatric health care providers’ perceptions of legacy at an academic medical center to ensure that future legacy interventions are evidence-informed and theoretically grounded. An electronic survey featuring three open-ended questions and two multiple-choice questions with an option for free text response was completed by 172 medical and psychosocial health care providers. Analysis yielded four themes: (1) legacy is intergenerational, enduring, and typically associated with end-of-life; (2) legacies articulate the impacts on others for which one is known and remembered; (3) legacies can be expressed through tangible items or intangible qualities; and (4) legacies are informed and generated by family relationships and work experiences. By understanding legacy as a personally and professionally contextualized experience, health care providers can better assess and meet the legacy needs of hospitalized pediatric patients and families.

scholarly journals Experiences in Electronic Consultation (eConsult) Service in Gynecology from a Quaternary Academic Medical Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara M. Corbetta-Rastelli ◽  
Tamandra K. Morgan ◽  
Nazaneen Homaifar ◽  
Lisa Deangelis ◽  
Amy M. Autry
Keyword(s):  
Pap Smear ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Senior Author ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Program Manager ◽  
Electronic Consultation ◽  
Improve Access

AbstractTo evaluate an academic institution’s implementation of a gynecologic electronic consultation (eConsult) service, including the most common queries, turnaround time, need for conversion to in-person visits, and to demonstrate how eConsults can improve access and convenience for patients and providers. This is a descriptive and retrospective electronic chart review. We obtained data from the UCSF eConsult and Smart Referral program manager. The medical system provided institution-wide statistics. Three authors reviewed and categorized gynecologic eConsults for the last fiscal year. The senior author resolved conflicts in coding. The eConsult program manager provided billing information and provider reimbursement. A total of 548 eConsults were submitted to the gynecology service between July 2017 and June 2020 (4.5% of institutional eConsult volume). Ninety-five percent of the eConsults were completed by a senior specialist within our department. Abnormal pap smear management, abnormal uterine bleeding, and contraception questions were the most common queries. Over half (59.3%) of all inquiries were answered on the same day as they were received, with an average of 9% declined. Gynecology was the 10th largest eConsult provider at our institution in 2020. The present investigation describes one large university-based experience with eConsults in gynecology. Results demonstrate that eConsults permit appropriate, efficient triaging of time-sensitive conditions affecting patients especially in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. eConsult services provide the potential to improve access, interdisciplinary communication, and patient and provider satisfaction.

Evidence-Based Duplicate Order Alerts Promote Effective Test Utilization and Reduce Unnecessary Laboratory Testing

2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S149-S149
Author(s):  
Jared Coberly ◽  
Emily Coberly ◽  
Katie Dettenwanger ◽  
Brandi Ross ◽  
Robert Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Judgment ◽  
Laboratory Testing ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Complete Blood Count ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Blood Product Transfusion ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Hospital Acquired

Abstract Introduction Unnecessary and inappropriate laboratory testing contributes to increased health care costs, increases length of stay, and increases odds for blood product transfusion. The Choosing Wisely campaign recommends a judicious use of laboratory blood testing to combat iatrogenic anemia. Reducing the number of duplicate test orders may help address these issues. We evaluated duplicate order alert thresholds in our electronic health record for 10 common laboratory tests at an academic medical center. Methods In January 2019, alert intervals for 10 common inpatient laboratory tests (thyroid stimulating hormone, complete blood count, hemoglobin A1c, troponin, lactic acid, hemoglobin and hematocrit, urinalysis, vitamin D, urine beta HCG, and triglycerides) were adjusted to evidence-based, disease-specific thresholds. If a test was ordered within a timeframe shorter than this threshold, an alert interrupted the provider’s workflow. The provider was allowed to override the alert based on clinical judgment. This is a change from the previous settings, which alerted any test if ordered more frequently than 8 hours. Postintervention duplicate order alerts were compared to baseline rates and adjusted for number of inpatient discharges. Results In total, 914 orders were cancelled in 1 month as a result of tailored duplicate order alerts versus the baseline mean of 710 (95% CI, 633-786) and a predicted 552 (95% CI, 475-628) when adjusted for number of inpatient discharges, with the majority of cancelled orders being for CBC (530 accepted alerts). Overall, this reduction in unnecessary duplicate tests is equivalent to 3,092 mL of blood not collected from patients per month. Conclusion Tailoring duplicate order alert interval thresholds to evidence-based criteria helps reduce unnecessary testing, reduces costs, and may play an important role in reducing hospital-acquired anemia.

Abstract WP324: Stroke Recognition Among Inpatient Staff at an Academic Medical Center

Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric E Adelman ◽  
William J Meurer ◽  
Dorinda K Nance ◽  
Mary Jo Kocan ◽  
Kate E Maddox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Stroke Knowledge

Background About 10% of all strokes occur in hospitalized patients. The goal of this work was to evaluate the knowledge of stroke signs and to determine predictors of that knowledge among inpatient staff at an academic medical center. Methods Stroke education was the topic of a mandatory in-service for all adult inpatient medical, surgical, and ICU nursing unit clinical staff; including nurses, techs, and aides. The staff members anonymously completed an optional web-survey which included free text responses for stroke signs and symptoms, along with additional multiple choice questions regarding experience and training. The primary outcome was stroke knowledge which was defined as correct naming of 2 or more stroke warning signs or symptoms. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of the primary outcome. Results The survey was offered to 1,593 staff members and 875 (55%) completed the survey. Eighty-seven percent of inpatient staff members correctly identified 2 or more stroke warning signs or symptoms while 31% identified 3 stroke warning signs or symptoms. Individual level predictors of stroke knowledge are shown in the Table. Greater self-reported confidence in identifying stroke symptoms and higher ratings for the importance of rapid identification of stroke symptoms were associated with stroke knowledge. Clinical experience, educational experience, work location, and personal knowledge of a stroke patient were not associated with stroke knowledge. Conclusion More than 80% of adult clinical inpatient staff members have knowledge of two or more stroke signs and symptoms. Future nursing education should emphasize the importance of rapid identification of stroke signs and symptoms and increasing confidence in knowledge of stroke symptoms.

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