Impact of Continuous Improvement of Laboratory Test Result Comments on Requests for Consultation

Objectives: Test interpretation is an important part of the brain-to-brain loop. Poor test comments can lead to calls for explanations and impair test interpretation and possibly patient care. There has been little study on quality improvement of test result comments. The objective of this study was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of clinical pathology Vol. 145; no. 5; pp. 666 - 670
Main Authors Schmidt, Robert L., Panlener, Jeanne J., Carasso, Suzanne M., Hussong, Jerry W.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford University Press 01.05.2016
Subjects
Quality improvement
Test interpretation
Test comments
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Summary:Objectives: Test interpretation is an important part of the brain-to-brain loop. Poor test comments can lead to calls for explanations and impair test interpretation and possibly patient care. There has been little study on quality improvement of test result comments. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of improvements in test comments on requests for consultation by clinicians. Methods: We monitored the volume of requests for consultation regarding test results before and after a test comment was modified. Results: Modifications of test comments eliminated calls for three different tests. Reductions were statistically significant for all tests (P < .007). Conclusions: Quality improvement activities targeted at test comments can improve service, reduce costs, and improve patient care.
ISSN:0002-9173
1943-7722
DOI:10.1093/ajcp/aqw020