Increasing the Effectiveness of Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Report with Autoverification: A Case Study of Udonthani Hospital

Abstract

The amount of laboratory work is increasing every year, therefore, development of work in the post-analytical process by using laboratory information system and quality control standards is required in the operation to achieve accuracy, completeness and fast as well as to help assist reducing laboratory workload. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of laboratory report using the autoverification of 35 test items in clinical chemistry laboratories in Udonthani Hospital, Thailand.  A data set was collected before and after using autoverification. in which the former data was obtained from 1^st July 2020 to 31^st July 2020, in the total of 52,132 tests and the latter data was derived after using autoverification from July 1^st to 31^st July 2021, in the total of 32,880 tests. The results revealed that the total waiting time for laboratory results was reduced by 9.05 minutes with statistically significant difference (p<0.05), except for CA 15-3 and AFP.  Furthermore, the staff’s workload using autoverification reporting decreased by more than 60%, except for  AST, ALP, LDH, and B-HCG which were reduced  by 59.85, 58.13, 28.50, and 23.81%, respectively. The overall results of staff’s workload exhibited reduction of 84.53%. For the percentage of achieved turnaround time to receipt report in routine lab and ordering tests that include special test items with setting time at  90 and 120 minutes, it was found that before the study the success scores were 87.60% and 95.80%, respectively, but after using autoverification reporting, it was shown that all achievement scores increased to 94.20 and 98.60%, respectively, with statistically significant difference (p<0.05). The findings demonstrated that the developing laboratory services with autoverification for laboratory report can help to increase productivity in terms of reducing turnaround time for laboratory results, reduce the staff ’s workload in checking and reporting results and improve the satisfaction and success of ensuring the timely test results of more than 90%. Interestingly, the usage of autoverification systems can expand the work and add more test items in clinical chemistry and in other laboratories with automated analyzers.