This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of preanalytical quality monitoring practices for patient identification and specimen labelling errors in Irish clinical laboratories.Ī survey was developed by the Clinical Biochemistry Unit, Trinity College Dublin and the Irish External Quality Assessment Scheme (IEQAS), with the intention of gathering key information from each laboratory. Specimen labelling and patient identification are significant contributors to the rate of error in the preanalytical phase of laboratory medicine. Regular training of phlebotomists regarding the preanalytical errors needs to be conducted to achieve six sigma performance. In this study, insufficient sample volume and haemolysis were the major causes of preanalytical errors. QIs serve as a tool to monitor process performance in the laboratory. Among the preanalytical errors, 43.9% were samples with insufficient volume (sigma: 4.5), 33.2 % were haemolyzed samples (sigma: 4.6), 11.3% were samples collected in an inappropriate blood collection tube (sigma: 4.9), 6.7% were samples not received in the laboratory (sigma: 5.1), 4.2% were clotted samples (sigma: 5.2), 0.7% were improperly labelled (sigma: 5.6), only one sample (0.06%) was lost over 9 months period due to spill in pneumatic chute. The total number of samples received during the study period was 5,73,694 and the total number of preanalytical errors was 1,782. Sigma metric was calculated for the above mentioned QIs. Quality Indicators (QIs) used: samples lost–not received (QI-8) samples collected in an inappropriate blood collection tube (QI-9) haemolyzed samples (QI-10) clotted samples (QI-11) samples with insufficient sample volume (QI-12) improperly labelled (QI-15) damaged in transport (QI-14). Quality Indicators expressed as sigma metrics provide a convenient way to objectively quantify errors.Īim: To quantify performance in the preanalytical phase of the testing process in Clinical Biochemistry laboratory of a tertiary care hospital in India using quality indicators. Hence, controlling them is a big challenge. Preanalytical errors account for nearly 70% of the total number of laboratory errors. No difference in knowledge between penultimate and final year of the same faculty was found. Students from FPB are more conscious of the importance of preanalytical phase of testing in comparison with their colleagues from other biomedical faculties. Students from FPB were more conscious of the importance of specimen mixing (P = 0.027), prevalence of preanalytical errors (P = 0.001), impact of hemolysis (P = 0.032) and lipemia interferences (P = 0.010), proper choice of anticoagulants (P = 0.001), transport conditions for ammonia sample (P < 0.001) and order of draw during blood specimen collection (P < 0.001), in comparison with students from SM and FVM. Students from FPB had higher proportion of correct answers (86%) compared to students from other biomedical faculties 62%, P < 0.001. Study included 135 participants, median age 24 (23-40) years. Comparison of frequencies and proportions of correct answers was done with Fisher’s exact test and test of comparison of proportions, respectively. Survey was composed of demographics and 14 statements regarding the preanalytical phase of laboratory testing. The aim of our study was to assess the level of knowledge on preanalytical phase in population of biomedicine students through a cross-sectional survey.Ī survey was sent to students on penultimate and final year of Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry – study of medical biochemistry (FPB), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVM) and School of Medicine (SM), University of Zagreb, Croatia, using the web tool SurveyMonkey. The educational program for health care personnel is important for reducing preanalytical errors and improving quality of laboratory test results.
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