Implementation of a point-of-care satellite laboratory in the emergency department of an academic medical center. Impact on test turnaround time and patient emergency department length of stay.

Context: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has reached crisis proportions in the United States. Many hospitals are seeking to identify process reengineering efforts to reduce crowding and ED patient length of stay (LOS).

Objectives: To investigate the impact of a point-of-care testing (POCT) satellite laboratory in the ED of a large academic medical center.