scholarly journals Pre-Analytical Workstations as a Tool for Reducing Laboratory Errors

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Rin

Pre-Analytical Workstations as a Tool for Reducing Laboratory ErrorsReducing errors and improving quality are an integral part of Laboratory Medicine. Laboratory testing, a highly complex process commonly called the total testing process (TTP), is usually subdivided into three traditional (pre-, intra-, and post-) analytical phases. A series of papers published from 1989 drew the attention of laboratory professionals to the pre-analytical phase, which currently appears to be more vulnerable to errors than the other phases. Consequently, the preanalytical phase should be the main target for further quality improvement. Therefore, identifying the critical steps in the pre-analytical phase is a prerequisite for continuous quality improvement, further error reduction and thus for improving patient safety. Use of automated systems where feasible, and use of error reduction/improved quality as a factor when selecting instrumentation are the main tools we have to insure high quality and minimize errors in the pre-analytical phase. The reasons for automation of the pre-analytical phase have become so compelling that it is no longer simply a competitive advantage for laboratories, but rather a competitive necessity. These systems can impact on the clinical/laboratory interface and affect the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of care.

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebubekir Bakan ◽  
Fatma Zuhal Umudum

AbstractExtra-analytical automation is of critical importance in patient safety with respect to accurate, fast test result reporting. Through the previous decades, significant improvements in laboratory errors have been achieved by technological facilities, which have become a substantial part of the reduction of preventable diagnostic errors. In clinical laboratory practice, the total testing process (TTP) is under the effect of error sources: preanalytical, analytical, and post-analytical variables. Since many extra-analytical processes within and outside the clinical laboratory may be automated, management of the extra-analytical phase can prevent errors, resulting in the total quality of laboratory diagnostics and customer satisfaction. The automation technologies have added a serious impact on the proficiency of clinical laboratories. To improve standardization, organization, efficiency, and quality of TTP, many manual tasks have now been partially or entirely automated by labor-saving instrumentations. The implementation of extra-analytical automation in the laboratory processes has recently made them standardized and manageable. Depending on the workload and workflow of the clinical laboratory, it is of critical importance to implement adequate systems, providing standardization of the TTP and resulting in high-quality test results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebubekir Bakan ◽  
Nuri Bakan

Abstract During previous decades, significant improvements in laboratory errors have become a substantial part of reducing preventable diagnostic errors. In clinical laboratory practice, the errors in the testing process are primarily associated with extra-analytical phase error sources, influencing the test result quality profoundly. Thus, the management of these critical error sources makes their effects preventable thanks to automation and computer sciences. The implementation of non-analytical automated systems requires a risk management strategy based on laboratory’s workflow and bottlenecks. Then, the improvements can be measured and evaluated by the usage of quality indicators (QI). Consequently, the total quality of laboratory diagnostics and higher patient safety is closely dependent on this type of automation. This review will help laboratory professionals, managers, and directors improve the total testing processes (TTP). The automation technologies have added a serious impact on the proficiency of laboratory medicine. Several instrumentations have now partially or entirely automated many manual tasks to improve standardization, organization, efficiency, and TTP quality. The implementation of non-analytical automation has made them manageable. As a result, non-analytical automation within and outside the clinical laboratory will necessarily lessen the error sources’ effect on the total test process, enhancing the quality of the test results.


Author(s):  
Osman Sianipar

In a clinical laboratory services pre-analytical phase has plays an important role in term of quality and patient safety. Pre-analytical phase is a phase before analyzing sample in laboratory which  includes  patient preparation, sampling, labeling, sample transportation, sample storage,  and preservation of samples that might influence the laboratory results. In this phase it involves interaction between patient, doctor, laboratory personels, and other staff outside the laboratory. Therefore, it could be assumed that in this phase many sample are collected, many laboratory tests are requested, many individuals are involved and therefore laboratory errors might be occured. Laboratory errors can occur either in pre-analytical, analytical, or post analytical phases but the most frequently errors occur in pre-analytical phase. In this article, quality improvement efforts in pre-analytical phase will be discussed in order to minimize pre-analytical error. 


1995 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. P111-P111
Author(s):  
Carl A. Patow

Educational objectives: To understand the principles of continuous quality improvement and to use these principles to enhance patient satisfaction through increased efficiency and improved quality of care.


2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Majkić-Singh ◽  
Zorica Šumarac

Quality Indicators of the Pre-Analytical PhaseQuality indicatorsare tools that allow the quantification of quality in each of the segments of health care in comparison with selected criteria. They can be defined as an objective measure used to assess the critical health care segments such as, for instance, patient safety, effectiveness, impartiality, timeliness, efficiency, etc. In laboratory medicine it is possible to develop quality indicators or the measure of feasibility for any stage of the total testing process. The total process or cycle of investigation has traditionally been separated into three phases, the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phase. Some authors also include a »pre-pre« and a »post-post« analytical phase, in a manner that allows to separate them from the activities of sample collection and transportation (pre-analytical phase) and reporting (post-analytical phase). In the year 2008 the IFCC formed within its Education and Management Division (EMD) a task force calledLaboratory Errors and Patient Safety (WG-LEPS)with the aim of promoting the investigation of errors in laboratory data, collecting data and developing a strategy to improve patient safety. This task force came up with the Model of Quality Indicators (MQI) for the total testing process (TTP) including the pre-, intra- and post-analytical phases of work. The pre-analytical phase includes a set of procedures that are difficult to define because they take place at different locations and at different times. Errors that occur at this stage often become obvious later in the analytical and post-analytical phases. For these reasons the identification of quality indicators is necessary in order to avoid potential errors in all the steps of the pre-analytical phase.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Zaninotto ◽  
Mario Plebani

AbstractThe recently raised concerns regarding biotin interference in immunoassays have increased the awareness of laboratory professionals and clinicians of the evidence that the analytical phase is still vulnerable to errors, particularly as analytical interferences may lead to erroneous results and risks for patient safety. The issue of interference in laboratory testing, which is not new, continues to be a challenge deserving the concern and interest of laboratory professionals and clinicians. Analytical interferences should be subdivided into two types on the basis of the possibility of their detection before the analytical process. The first (type 1) is represented by lipemia, hemolysis and icterus, and the second (type 2), by unusual constituents that are not undetectable before analysis, and may affect the matrix of serum/plasma of individual subjects. Type 2 cannot be identified with current techniques when performing the pre-analytical phase. Therefore, in addition to a more careful evaluation and validation of the method to be used in clinical practice, the awareness of laboratory professionals should be raised as to the importance of evaluating the quality of biological samples before analysis and to adopt algorithms and approaches in the attempt to reduce problems related to erroneous results due to specific or non-specific interferences.


Author(s):  
Mario Plebani ◽  
Laura Sciacovelli ◽  
Ada Aita ◽  
Michela Pelloso ◽  
Maria Laura Chiozza

AbstractThe definition, implementation and monitoring of valuable analytical quality specifications have played a fundamental role in improving the quality of laboratory services and reducing the rates of analytical errors. However, a body of evidence has been accumulated on the relevance of the extra-analytical phases, namely the pre-analytical steps, their vulnerability and impact on the overall quality of the laboratory information. The identification and establishment of valueable quality indicators (QIs) represents a promising strategy for collecting data on quality in the total testing process (TTP) and, particularly, for detecting any mistakes made in the individual steps of the pre-analytical phase, thus providing useful information for quality improvement projects. The consensus achieved on the developed list of harmonized QIs is a premise for the further step: the identification of achievable and realistic performance targets based on the knowledge of the state-of-the-art. Data collected by several clinical laboratories worldwide allow the classification of performances for available QIs into three levels: optimum, desirable and minimum, in agreement with the widely accepted proposal for analytical quality specifications.


2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 557-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Chiara Rossi ◽  
Riccardo Candido ◽  
Antonio Ceriello ◽  
Antonino Cimino ◽  
Paolo Di Bartolo ◽  
...  

JOUTICA ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Nafiiyah

The performance assessment of administration staff in the college did in order to improve the quality of the service process and internal continuous quality improvement. This study aims at the development of information systems web-based performance assessment. This system was built using the programming language PHP (Hypertext Processor) and MySql database, which is expected to provide a more efficient and effective in conducting this evaluation, all the colleges are trying to have an information system that not only presents a variety of important information, but also can perform the data processing. Assessmentof the performance is measurements made on various activities with the questioner. The results of the study give a rank of accumulation is obtained by calculating the second component of the assessment, the results of this can be seen anyone to find the highest rank to lowest. It is hoping that every values obtained can push Employees the administration in Lamongan Islamic university to improve its performance.


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