Comprehensive improvements in the emergency laboratory test process based on information technology.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application effects of information technology (IT) on emergency laboratory testing procedures. METHODS: In this study, IT-based optimisation of the emergency laboratory testing process was implemented between October and December 2021. Thus, the emergency laboratory test reports from January to September 2021 were placed into the pre-optimised group, while those from January to September 2022 were categorised into the post-optimised group. Besides, the emergency laboratory test report time, emergency laboratory test report time limit coincidence rate, error rate, and employee and patient satisfaction levels in individual months and across the whole period were described. Moreover, changes in the above indicators before and after the implementation of IT-based optimisation were explored and the application effects of IT-based optimisation were also evaluated. RESULTS: The emergency laboratory test report times after the implementation of IT-based optimisation were shorter than those before IT-based optimisation (P < 0.05). The total number of laboratory test items before and after information optimization amounted to 222,139 and 259,651, respectively. Also, IT-based optimisation led to an increase in the emergency laboratory test report time limit coincidence rate from 98.77% to 99.03% (P < 0.05), while the emergency laboratory test report error rate fell from 0.77‱ to 0.15‱ (P < 0.05). Additionally, IT-based optimisation resulted in increases in both employee satisfaction, from 80.65% to 93.55% (N = 31, P > 0.05), and patient satisfaction, from 93.06% to 98.44% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The automation and IT-based optimisation of the emergency laboratory testing process significantly reduces the emergency laboratory test report time and error rate. Additionally, IT-driven optimization enhances the alignment of emergency laboratory test report deadlines and enhances the overall quality and safety of emergency laboratory testing.

Using information technology to optimize the identification process for outpatients having blood drawn and improve patient satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the application effect of information technology in optimizing the patient identification process. METHODS: The method for optimizing the identification process involved in drawing blood among outpatients using information technology was executed from July 2020. In this paper, 959 patients who had blood drawn from January to June 2020 were included as the pre-optimization group, and 1011 patients who had blood drawn from July to December 2019 were included as the post-optimization group. The correct rate of patient identification, waiting time, and patient satisfaction before and after the optimization were statistically analyzed. The changes in these three indexes before and after the optimization implementation, as well as the application effects, were compared. RESULTS: The correct rate of patient identification after optimization (99.80%) was higher than before optimization (98.02%) (X2 = 13.120; P < 0.001), and the waiting time for having blood drawn was also significantly shortened (t = 8.046; P < 0.001). The satisfaction of patients was also significantly improved (X2 = 20.973; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: By combining information technology with the characteristics of blood collection in our hospital, using the call system to obtain patient information, then scan the QR code of the guide sheet for automatic verification, and finally manually reconfirm patient information, which can significantly reduce the occurrence of identification errors, improve work efficiency and improve patients' satisfaction.

Service Quality Improvement of Outpatient Blood Collection by Lean Management.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application effect of lean management in improving the quality of outpatient blood collection services. METHODS: For this study, a total of 146,907 patients whose blood was sampled by outpatient services between April 2020 and September 2020 were selected. We analyzed the influence of various factors on the waiting time and satisfaction levels of the patients for blood collection and eliminated confounders based on the results of the analysis. Lean management for the outpatient blood collection service was implemented in July 2020. Thus, the 38,275 cases sampled on weekday mornings between April and June 2020 were selected as the ordinary management group, while the 39,473 cases sampled on weekday mornings between July and September 2020 belonged to the lean management group. Finally, the changes in waiting time and the satisfaction levels of the patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The age and gender of the patients and the length of service of the staff, who administered blood collection had a negligible effect on the waiting time (Z=-1.243, P=0.418; Z=-1.569, P=0.389; Z = -1.062, P= 0.563), while there was a statistical difference in the waiting time between different days and different sessions (Z = -2.581, P = 0.013 and Z = -4.672, P < 0.001). We also found that the length of service of blood collection staff, day, session, and age and gender of patients did not have a meaningful effect on patient satisfaction (P > 0.05). Overall, the median waiting time of outpatients decreased from 22 min to 13 min after the implementation of lean management (Z =10.522, P < 0.001), while the satisfaction level of outpatients increased from 95.37% to 98.33% (χ 2 = 559.580, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The application of lean management can significantly shorten outpatient waiting time for blood collection, improve patients satisfaction levels, and enhance the overall patient experience. Thus, lean management can significantly improve the service quality of outpatient blood collection.