Assessment of a laboratory critical risk result notification protocol in a tertiary care hospital and their use in clinical decision making

• Published in: Biochemia Medica Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 030703 - 521
• Main Authors: Delgado Rodríguez, Jose A, Pastor García, Maria I, Gómez Cobo, Cristina, Pons Más, Antonia R, Llompart Alabern, Isabel, Bauça, Josep Miquel
• Format: Journal Article Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Croatia Medicinska naklada 15.10.2019; Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine
• Subjects: Blood Chemical Analysis; Clinical Decision-Making; critical risk result; Humans; Laboratories, Hospital; Medical Records - standards; Original; phone notification; Potassium - blood; Retrospective Studies; Sodium - blood; Tertiary Care Centers; Time Factors; turnaround time; clinical decision making; phone notification; critical risk result; turnaround time
• ISSN: 1330-0962; 1846-7482
• DOI: 10.11613/BM.2019.030703

Communication of laboratory critical risk results is essential for patient safety, as it allows early decision making. Our aims were: 1) to retrospectively evaluate the current protocol for telephone notification of critical risk results in terms of rates, efficiency and recipient satisfaction, 2) to assess their use in clinical decision making and 3) to suggest alternative tools for a better assessment of notification protocols. The biochemical critical risk result notifications reported during 12 months by routine and STAT laboratories in a tertiary care hospital were reviewed. Total number of reports, time for the notification and main magnitudes with critical risk results were calculated. The use of notifications in clinical decision making was assessed by reviewing medical records. Satisfaction with the notification protocol was assessed through an online questionnaire to requesting physicians and nurses. Critical result was yielded by 0.1% of total laboratory tests. Median time for notification was 3.2 min (STAT) and 16.9 min (routine). The magnitudes with a greater number of critical results were glucose and potassium for routine analyses, and troponin, sodium for STAT. Most notifications were not reflected in the medical records. Overall mean satisfaction with the protocol was 4.2/5. The results obtained indicate that the current protocol is appropriate. Nevertheless, there are some limitations that hamper the evaluation of the impact on clinical decision making. Alternatives were proposed for a proper and precise evaluation.