Test Cancellation: A College of American Pathologists Q-Probes Study.

Context: Requests for laboratory testing are canceled after a specimen has already been collected from the patient for many reasons. Regardless of the cause, test cancellation represents a significant resource expenditure for laboratories, and many cancellation events impact patient care by delaying the reporting of test results.

Objective: To survey a wide variety of hospitals to determine the rate, causes, and circumstances surrounding laboratory test cancellation events.

Seven Q-Tracks monitors of laboratory quality drive general performance improvement: experience from the College of American Pathologists Q-Tracks program 1999-2011.

Context: Many production systems employ standardized statistical monitors that measure defect rates and cycle times, as indices of performance quality. Clinical laboratory testing, a system that produces test results, is amenable to such monitoring.

Objective: To demonstrate patterns in clinical laboratory testing defect rates and cycle time using 7 College of American Pathologists Q-Tracks program monitors.

Frequency monitoring of hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein, and urine protein laboratory testing: a College of American Pathologists Q-Probes study.

Context: Ensuring laboratory tests are performed at intervals consistent with established, evidence-based guidelines in diabetic patients is an important aspect of laboratory utilization.

Objectives: To measure how frequently diabetes mellitus patients are tested for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein, and urine protein and to determine whether the frequencies with which these analytes are tested are consistent with recognized guidelines.

Design: Participants prospectively identified up to 40 patients with a current HbA1c result and at least 2 previous measurements within the past 24 months.

Patient safety & post-analytical error.

Post-analytical laboratory processes have been considered to be less prone to error than preanalytical processes because of the widespread adoption of laboratory automation and interfaced laboratory reporting. Quality monitors and controls for the post-analytical process have focused on critical result notification, meeting established turnaround time goals, and review of changed reports. The rapid increase in the adoption of electronic health records has created a new role for laboratory professionals in the management of patient test results.