Quality specimen project

Abstract

Most laboratory errors occur in the pre-analytical phase of testing. Quality sample collection, handling and transport are paramount to quality results and patient care. Pre-analytical error can produce erroneous patient results, prompt a recollection and is a significant cost to the laboratory. The Quality Specimen Project has been of great value to the organisation. We have identified the most common pre-analytical errors, where they are occurring, which collectors they relate to and how much these errors are costing. One of the areas we identified for improvement was unspun serum tubes. Our usual practice is to ensure all serum tubes are spun at the site of collection. Since 2018 we have seen the number of unspun samples per year almost halved. This has important implications for our patients undergoing glucose tolerance tests for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. This project has now been automated such that area managers receive a monthly ‘Quality Specimens’ report. These reports can be filtered to include a specific area or collector and assists the implementation of further training for specific collection sites or collectors. The Quality Specimen Project is ongoing and has created a benchmark for us to use as a target for improvement.