Laboratory Medicine Best Research Articles

Don’t omit a urine culture when a urinalysis is suspicious for asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy

Abstract Introduction/Objective Investigation of a clinical problem using steps of evidence-based practice (EBP) led to the development of a recommendation submitted for Choosing Wisely consideration. The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) in pregnancy is between 2-15%. ASB may be a concern in pregnancy because of its capacity for association with adverse outcomes, namely preterm delivery, low birthweight, and possible progression to pyelonephritis. Screening and treatment may reduce the risks of adverse outcomes, but data is not current. A point-of-care urine dipstick is low cost and commonly used at routine obstetrician clinic visits to screen for ASB. The urinalysis dipstick is associated with high false-positive and false-negative rates as compared to the gold standard urine culture. Some providers make the decision to treat ASB given a positive urinalysis screen without ordering a follow-up culture. Such practice could lead to overtreatment of the patient and poor antibiotic stewardship. Research question Is a urinalysis without culture sufficient for diagnosis and treatment of ASB during pregnancy? Methods/Case Report Laboratory Medicine Best Practices A-6 steps of Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply, Analyze, and Assess were utilized to develop an appropriate and relevant clinical question, collect literature, determine evidence value, assign ratings, implement into practice, and evaluate outcomes. During appraisal, six selected articles were graded according to study rating, practice, measures, and results, further including the final rating and effect size rating. Consistency and overall strength of the evidence were analyzed. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Each evidence study demonstrated final ratings between 8 and 10, a rating of “Good,” and an effect size rating of “Substantial.” Consistency leads to a “High” overall strength among the body of evidence. Conclusion Obtain a urine culture if routine prenatal point-of-care dipstick urinalyses have findings consistent with asymptomatic bacteriuria. Urinalyses are limited as screening due to low sensitivity and specificity for bacteriuria. Positive urinalysis dipstick results should be neither the sole basis for diagnosis nor decision to treat.

A-184 Evidence-based Test Utilization: Test Ordering Patterns in Functional Medicine and Community Clinics, and Implications for Laboratory Stewardship

Abstract Background Functional Medicine Physicians (FMPs) use a holistic approach to identify and address “the root cause of a disease”. These physicians routinely order laboratory tests that are not supported by clinical suspicion and practice guidelines (i.e., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Laboratory Medicine Best Practices, and local diagnostic algorithms) and are unnecessarily duplicative, with inappropriate testing patterns. Ordering unnecessary tests does not improve diagnosis; indeed, 5% of disease-free patients falsely test positive for a given diagnostic test. Test overutilization increases the rate of false positives, leading to unnecessary medical follow-ups, compromised patient care, and financial constraints on the healthcare system. The objective of this study is to: 1) Compare test ordering patterns between FMPs and General Practitioners (GPs) to identify disparities and opportunities for laboratory stewardship improvements. 2) Analyze the potential factors impacting test utilization in areas served by FMPs, 3) investigate the proper approach to improve test utilization. Methods Using our laboratory’s information system, we conducted a retrospective study spanning from January 2022 to December 2022 to assess testing patterns by 15 FMPs in Southern Alberta, comparing them to those of randomly selected community GPs within the same geographical region. A query was executed to retrieve data on the top 50 chemistry tests ordered by functional medicine clinics and community clinics. These tests were further categorized into six groups: general chemistry, endocrinology, immunology, trace elements, toxic metals, and vitamins. Data analysis included determining the geographical locations of functional medicine clinics and assessing the socioeconomic status of their patient populations. Additionally, the percentage of abnormal test results were calculated for both functional medicine clinic and community clinics. Furthermore, the average cost of tests per patient, per physician, and per clinic was computed to evaluate the financial implications of testing practices. Results Our preliminary results showed significant variability in test ordering practices among FMPs, with potential implications for patient care and healthcare costs. Most tests ordered by FMPs were normal (94%), suggesting a need for further scrutiny regarding the necessity and appropriateness of these tests. A notable trend observed was the disproportionate preference of FMPs for expensive tests, including hormones, vitamins, and toxic metals. Our analysis reveals that the cost per reportable test from FMPs was four times higher compared to the tests ordered by GPs. Furthermore, on average, functional medicine clinics in urban areas ordered around 60% more tests annually compared to their rural counterparts. Conclusions Our preliminary findings clearly show a need to monitor the testing behavior more carefully by the functional medicine clinics. The data from this study will be shared with the physicians practicing functional medicine in Alberta. Strategies to improve the test utilization and patient care include educating the functional medicine doctors and provincial healthcare authorities about the appropriate test utilization and the impact of inappropriate use of lab on patient care. In addition, using algorithms for test ordering will be used if the pattern of inappropriate testing continues.

Correction for Kraft et al., “A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) and Algorithms Including NAATs for the Diagnosis of Clostridioides ( Clostridium ) difficile in Adults”

Volume 32, no. 3, e00032-18, 2019, [https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00032-18][1]. Page 1: One institutional affiliation for Romney M. Humphries was missing from the list of author affiliations in the original paper. The list of institutional affiliations should appear as given in this Author Correction

Interventions to prevent iatrogenic anemia: a Laboratory Medicine Best Practices systematic review

BackgroundAs many as 90% of patients develop anemia by their third day in an intensive care unit (ICU). We evaluated the efficacy of interventions to reduce phlebotomy-related blood loss on the volume of blood lost, hemoglobin levels, transfusions, and incidence of anemia.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using the Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) systematic review methods for rating study quality and assessing the body of evidence. Searches of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, PsychINFO, and CINAHL identified 2564 published references. We included studies of the impact of interventions to reduce phlebotomy-related blood loss on blood loss, hemoglobin levels, transfusions, or anemia among hospital inpatients. We excluded studies not published in English and studies that did not have a comparison group, did not report an outcome of interest, or were rated as poor quality. Twenty-one studies met these criteria. We conducted a meta-analysis if > 2 homogenous studies reported sufficient information for analysis.ResultsWe found moderate, consistent evidence that devices that return blood from flushing venous or arterial lines to the patient reduced blood loss by approximately 25% in both neonatal ICU (NICU) and adult ICU patients [pooled estimate in adults, 24.7 (95% CI = 12.1–37.3)]. Bundled interventions that included blood conservation devices appeared to reduce blood loss by at least 25% (suggestive evidence). The evidence was insufficient to determine if these devices reduced hemoglobin decline or risk of anemia. The evidence suggested that small volume tubes reduced the risk of anemia, but was insufficient to determine if they affected the volume of blood loss or the rate of hemoglobin decline.ConclusionsModerate, consistent evidence indicated that devices that return blood from testing or flushing lines to the patient reduce the volume of blood loss by approximately 25% among ICU patients. The results of this systematic review support the use of blood conservation systems with arterial or venous catheters to eliminate blood waste when drawing blood for testing. The evidence was insufficient to conclude the devices impacted hemoglobin levels or transfusion rates. The use of small volume tubes may reduce the risk of anemia.

Restrictive Transfusion Strategy and Clinical Decision Support Practices for Reducing RBC Transfusion Overuse.

Assess support for the effectiveness of two separate practices, restrictive transfusion strategy and computerized physician order entry/clinical decision support (CPOE/CDS) tools, in decreasing RBC transfusions in adult surgical and nonsurgical patients. Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Laboratory Medicine Best Practice (LMBP) Systematic Review (A-6) method, studies were assessed for quality and evidence of effectiveness in reducing the percentage of patients transfused and/or units of blood transfused. Twenty-five studies on restrictive transfusion practice and seven studies on CPOE/CDS practice met LMBP inclusion criteria. The overall strength of the body of evidence of effectiveness for restrictive transfusion strategy and CPOE/CDS was rated as high. Based on these procedures, adherence to an institutional restrictive transfusion strategy and use of CPOE/CDS tools for hemoglobin alerts or reminders of the institution's restrictive transfusion policies are effective in reducing RBC transfusion overuse.

The Effect of Laboratory Test-Based Clinical Decision Support Tools on Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Events: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Systematic Review.

Laboratory and medication data in electronic health records create opportunities for clinical decision support (CDS) tools to improve medication dosing, laboratory monitoring, and detection of side effects. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of such tools in preventing medication-related harm. We followed the Laboratory Medicine Best Practice (LMBP) initiative's A-6 methodology. Searches of 6 bibliographic databases retrieved 8508 abstracts. Fifteen articles examined the effect of CDS tools on (a) appropriate dose or medication (n = 5), (b) laboratory monitoring (n = 4), (c) compliance with guidelines (n = 2), and (d) adverse drug events (n = 5). We conducted meta-analyses by using random-effects modeling. We found moderate and consistent evidence that CDS tools applied at medication ordering or dispensing can increase prescriptions of appropriate medications or dosages [6 results, pooled risk ratio (RR), 1.48; 95% CI, 1.27-1.74]. CDS tools also improve receipt of recommended laboratory monitoring and appropriate treatment in response to abnormal test results (6 results, pooled RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.05-1.87). The evidence that CDS tools reduced adverse drug events was inconsistent (5 results, pooled RR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.46-1.03). The findings support the practice of healthcare systems with the technological capability incorporating test-based CDS tools into their computerized physician ordering systems to (a) identify and flag prescription orders of inappropriate dose or medications at the time of ordering or dispensing and (b) alert providers to missing laboratory tests for medication monitoring or results that warrant a change in treatment. More research is needed to determine the ability of these tools to prevent adverse drug events.

Anemia Management and Audit Feedback Practices for Reducing Overuse of RBC Transfusion: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practice Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To evaluate the effectiveness of anemia management and audit with feedback practices in reducing overuse of RBC transfusion. This review follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Laboratory Medicine Best Practice Systematic Review (A-6) method. We searched the literature and solicited unpublished studies on practices to reduce overuse of RBC transfusions as measured by reductions in units transfused and proportion of patients transfused. Thirteen studies on preoperative anemia management and three studies on audit feedback practices met inclusion criteria. Strength of evidence was high to moderate for reducing the number of units and proportion of patients transfused. Preoperative anemia management reduces the proportion of patients transfused and units of RBCs transfused. Audit with feedback across cases, physicians, and/or service areas, as part of a continuous quality improvement practice, reduces the proportion of patients and units of RBCs transfused.

Determining qualitative effect size ratings using a likelihood ratio scatter matrix in diagnostic test accuracy systematic reviews.

Background Diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) systematic reviews (SRs) characterize a test's potential for diagnostic quality and safety. However, interpreting DTA measures in the context of SRs is challenging. Further, some evidence grading methods (e.g. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Systems Laboratory Medicine Best Practices method) require determination of qualitative effect size ratings as a contributor to practice recommendations. This paper describes a recently developed effect size rating approach for assessing a DTA evidence base. Methods A likelihood ratio scatter matrix will plot positive and negative likelihood ratio pairings for DTA studies. Pairings are graphed as single point estimates with confidence intervals, positioned in one of four quadrants derived from established thresholds for test clinical validity. These quadrants support defensible judgments on "substantial", "moderate", or "minimal" effect size ratings for each plotted study. The approach is flexible in relation to a priori determinations of the relative clinical importance of false positive and false negative test results. Results and conclusions This qualitative effect size rating approach was operationalized in a recent SR that assessed effectiveness of test practices for the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile. Relevance of this approach to other methods of grading evidence, and efforts to measure diagnostic quality and safety are described. Limitations of the approach arise from understanding that a diagnostic test is not an isolated element in the diagnostic process, but provides information in clinical context towards diagnostic quality and safety.

Interventions to Improve Follow-Up of Laboratory Test Results Pending at Discharge: A Systematic Review.

Failure to follow up test results pending at discharge (TPAD) from hospitals or emergency departments is a major patient safety concern. The purpose of this review is to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to improve follow-up of laboratory TPAD. We conducted literature searches in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and EMBASE using search terms for relevant health care settings, transition of patient care, laboratory tests, communication, and pending or missed tests. We solicited unpublished studies from the clinical laboratory community and excluded articles that did not address transitions between settings, did not include an intervention, or were not related to laboratory TPAD. We also excluded letters, editorials, commentaries, abstracts, case reports, and case series. Of the 9,592 abstracts retrieved, eight met the inclusion criteria and reported the successful communication of TPAD. A team member abstracted predetermined data elements from each study, and a senior scientist reviewed the abstraction. Two experienced reviewers independently appraised the quality of each study using published Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP™) A-6 scoring criteria. We assessed the body of evidence using the A-6 methodology, and the evidence suggested that electronic tools or one-on-one education increased documentation of pending tests in discharge summaries. We also found that automated notifications improved awareness of TPAD. The interventions were supported by suggestive evidence; this type of evidence is below the level of evidence required for LMBP™ recommendations. We encourage additional research into the impact of these interventions on key processes and health outcomes.

Effectiveness of Practices to Support Appropriate Laboratory Test Utilization: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of practices used to support appropriate clinical laboratory test utilization.MethodsThis review followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Laboratory Medicine Best Practices A6 cycle method. Eligible studies assessed one of the following practices for effect on outcomes relating to over- or underutilization: computerized provider order entry (CPOE), clinical decision support systems/tools (CDSS/CDST), education, feedback, test review, reflex testing, laboratory test utilization (LTU) teams, and any combination of these practices. Eligible outcomes included intermediate, systems outcomes (eg, number of tests ordered/performed and cost of tests), as well as patient-related outcomes (eg, length of hospital stay, readmission rates, morbidity, and mortality).ResultsEighty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Fifty-one of these studies could be meta-analyzed. Strength of evidence ratings for each practice ranged from high to insufficient.ConclusionPractice recommendations are made for CPOE (specifically, modifications to existing CPOE), reflex testing, and combined practices. No recommendation for or against could be made for CDSS/CDST, education, feedback, test review, and LTU. Findings from this review serve to inform guidance for future studies.

Effectiveness of Laboratory Practices to Reducing Patient Misidentification Due to Specimen Labeling Errors at the Time of Specimen Collection in Healthcare Settings: LMBP™ Systematic Review.

Specimen labeling errors have long plagued the laboratory industry putting patients at risk of transfusion-related death, medication errors, misdiagnosis, and patient mismanagement. Many interventions have been implemented and deemed to be effective in reducing sample error rates. The objective of this review was to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of laboratory practices/ interventions to develop evidence based recommendations for the best laboratory practices to reduce labeling errors. The standardized LMBP™ A-6 methods were used to conduct this systematic review. Total evidence included 12 studies published during the time periods of 1980 to September 2015. Combined data from seven studies found that the interventions developed as a result of improved communication and collaboration between the laboratory and clinical staff resulted in substantial decrease in specimen labeling errors (Median relative percent change in labeling errors: -75.86; IQI: -84.77, -58.00). Further data from subset of four studies showed a significant decrease in specimen labeling errors after the institution of the standardized specimen labeling protocols (Median relative percent decrease in specimen labeling errors: -72.45; IQI: -83.25, -46.50). Based on the evidence included in this review, the interventions that enhance the communication and collaboration between laboratory and healthcare professionals can decrease the specimen identification errors in healthcare settings. However, more research is needed to make the conclusion on the effectiveness of other evaluated practices in this review including training and education of the specimen collection staff, audit and feedback of labeling errors, and implementation of new technology (other than barcoding).

Lipoprotein Biomarkers and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) Systematic Review.

Controversy exists about the incremental utility of nontraditional lipid biomarkers [e.g., apolipoprotein (apo) B, apo A-I, and non-HDL-C] in improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction when added to a conventional model of traditional risk factors (e.g., total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, sex, age, smoking status, and blood pressure). Here we present a systematic review that was conducted to assess the use of nontraditional lipid biomarkers including apo B, apo A-I, apo B/A-I ratio, and non-HDL-C in improving CVD risk prediction after controlling for the traditional risk factors in populations at risk for cardiovascular events. This systematic review used the Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP™) A-6 methods. A total of 9 relevant studies published before and including July 2015 comprised the evidence base for this review. Results from this systematic review indicated that after the adjustment for standard nonlipid and lipid CVD risk factors, nontraditional apolipoprotein biomarkers apo B (overall effect = relative risk: 1.31; 95% CI, 1.22-1.40; 4 studies) and apo B/apo A-I ratio (overall effect = relative risk: 1.31; 95% CI, 1.11-1.38; 7 studies) resulted in significant improvement in long-term CVD risk assessment. Available evidence showed that nontraditional lipid biomarkers apo B and apo B/apo I ratio can improve the risk prediction for cardiovascular events after controlling for the traditional risk factors for the populations at risk. However, because of insufficient evidence, no conclusions could be made for the effectiveness of apo A-I and non-HDL-C lipid markers to predict the CVD events, indicating a need for more research in this field.

Effectiveness of Preanalytic Practices on Contamination and Diagnostic Accuracy of Urine Cultures: a Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

SUMMARYBackground.Urinary tract infection (UTI) in the United States is the most common bacterial infection, and urine cultures often make up the largest portion of workload for a hospital-based microbiology laboratory. Appropriately managing the factors affecting the preanalytic phase of urine culture contributes significantly to the generation of meaningful culture results that ultimately affect patient diagnosis and management. Urine culture contamination can be reduced with proper techniques for urine collection, preservation, storage, and transport, the major factors affecting the preanalytic phase of urine culture.Objectives.The purposes of this review were to identify and evaluate preanalytic practices associated with urine specimens and to assess their impact on the accuracy of urine culture microbiology. Specific practices included collection methods for men, women, and children; preservation of urine samples in boric acid solutions; and the effect of refrigeration on stored urine. Practice efficacy and effectiveness were measured by two parameters: reduction of urine culture contamination and increased accuracy of patient diagnosis. The CDC Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) initiative's systematic review method for assessment of quality improvement (QI) practices was employed. Results were then translated into evidence-based practice guidelines.Search strategy.A search of three electronic bibliographic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, and CINAHL), as well as hand searching of bibliographies from relevant information sources, for English-language articles published between 1965 and 2014 was conducted.Selection criteria.The search contained the following medical subject headings and key text words: urinary tract infections, UTI, urine/analysis, urine/microbiology, urinalysis, specimen handling, preservation, biological, preservation, boric acid, boric acid/borate, refrigeration, storage, time factors, transportation, transport time, time delay, time factor, timing, urine specimen collection, catheters, indwelling, urinary reservoirs, continent, urinary catheterization, intermittent urethral catheterization, clean voided, midstream, Foley, suprapubic, bacteriological techniques, and microbiological techniques.Main results.Both boric acid and refrigeration adequately preserved urine specimens prior to their processing for up to 24 h. Urine held at room temperature for more than 4 h showed overgrowth of both clinically significant and contaminating microorganisms. The overall strength of this body of evidence, however, was rated as low. For urine specimens collected from women, there was no difference in rates of contamination for midstream urine specimens collected with or without cleansing. The overall strength of this evidence was rated as high. The levels of diagnostic accuracy of midstream urine collection with or without cleansing were similar, although the overall strength of this evidence was rated as low. For urine specimens collected from men, there was a reduction in contamination in favor of midstream clean-catch over first-void specimen collection. The strength of this evidence was rated as high. Only one study compared midstream collection with cleansing to midstream collection without cleansing. Results showed no difference in contamination between the two methods of collection. However, imprecision was due largely to the small event size. The diagnostic accuracy of midstream urine collection from men compared to straight catheterization or suprapubic aspiration was high. However, the overall strength of this body of evidence was rated as low. For urine specimens collected from children and infants, the evidence comparing contamination rates for midstream urine collection with cleansing, midstream collection without cleansing, sterile urine bag collection, and diaper collection pointed to larger reductions in the odds of contamination in favor of midstream collection with cleansing over the other methods of collection. This body of evidence was rated as high. The accuracy of diagnosis of urinary tract infection from midstream clean-catch urine specimens, sterile urine bag specimens, or diaper specimens compared to straight catheterization or suprapubic aspiration was varied.Authors' conclusions.No recommendation for or against is made for delayed processing of urine stored at room temperature, refrigerated, or preserved in boric acid. This does not preclude the use of refrigeration or chemical preservatives in clinical practice. It does indicate, however, that more systematic studies evaluating the utility of these measures are needed. If noninvasive collection is being considered for women, midstream collection with cleansing is recommended, but no recommendation for or against is made for midstream collection without cleansing. If noninvasive collection is being considered for men, midstream collection with cleansing is recommended and collection of first-void urine is not recommended. No recommendation for or against is made for collection of midstream urine without cleansing. If noninvasive collection is being considered for children, midstream collection with cleansing is recommended and collection in sterile urine bags, from diapers, or midstream without cleansing is not recommended. Whether midstream collection with cleansing can be routinely used in place of catheterization or suprapubic aspiration is unclear. The data suggest that midstream collection with cleansing is accurate for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections in infants and children and has higher average accuracy than sterile urine bag collection (data for diaper collection were lacking); however, the overall strength of evidence was low, as multivariate modeling could not be performed, and thus no recommendation for or against can be made.

Effectiveness of Practices To Increase Timeliness of Providing Targeted Therapy for Inpatients with Bloodstream Infections: a Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

SUMMARYBackground.Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Rapid identification of bloodstream pathogens is a laboratory practice that supports strategies for rapid transition to direct targeted therapy by providing for timely and effective patient care. In fact, the more rapidly that appropriate antimicrobials are prescribed, the lower the mortality for patients with sepsis. Rapid identification methods may have multiple positive impacts on patient outcomes, including reductions in mortality, morbidity, hospital lengths of stay, and antibiotic use. In addition, the strategy can reduce the cost of care for patients with BSIs.Objectives.The purpose of this review is to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of three rapid diagnostic practices in decreasing the time to targeted therapy for hospitalized patients with BSIs. The review was performed by applying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Initiative (LMBP) systematic review methods for quality improvement (QI) practices and translating the results into evidence-based guidance (R. H. Christenson et al., Clin Chem 57:816–825, 2011, http://dx.doi.org/10.1373/clinchem.2010.157131).Search strategy.A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify studies with measurable outcomes. A search of three electronic bibliographic databases (PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL), databases containing “gray” literature (unpublished academic, government, or industry evidence not governed by commercial publishing) (CIHI, NIHR, SIGN, and other databases), and the Cochrane database for English-language articles published between 1990 and 2011 was conducted in July 2011.Dates of search.The dates of our search were from 1990 to July 2011.Selection criteria.Animal studies and non-English publications were excluded. The search contained the following medical subject headings: bacteremia; bloodstream infection; time factors; health care costs; length of stay; morbidity; mortality; antimicrobial therapy; rapid molecular techniques, polymerase chain reaction (PCR); in situ hybridization, fluorescence; treatment outcome; drug therapy; patient care team; pharmacy service, hospital; hospital information systems; Gram stain; pharmacy service; and spectrometry, mass, matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization. Phenotypic as well as the following key words were searched: targeted therapy; rapid identification; rapid; Gram positive; Gram negative; reduce(ed); cost(s); pneumoslide; PBP2; tube coagulase; matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight; MALDI TOF; blood culture; EMR; electronic reporting; call to provider; collaboration; pharmacy; laboratory; bacteria; yeast; ICU; and others. In addition to the electronic search being performed, a request for unpublished quality improvement data was made to the clinical laboratory community.Main results.Rapid molecular testing with direct communication significantly improves timeliness compared to standard testing. Rapid phenotypic techniques with direct communication likely improve the timeliness of targeted therapy. Studies show a significant and homogeneous reduction in mortality associated with rapid molecular testing combined with direct communication.Authors' conclusions.No recommendation is made for or against the use of the three assessed practices of this review due to insufficient evidence. The overall strength of evidence is suggestive; the data suggest that each of these three practices has the potential to improve the time required to initiate targeted therapy and possibly improve other patient outcomes, such as mortality. The meta-analysis results suggest that the implementation of any of the three practices may be more effective at increasing timeliness to targeted therapy than routine microbiology techniques for identification of the microorganisms causing BSIs. Based on the included studies, results for all three practices appear applicable across multiple microorganisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), Candida species, and Enterococcus species.

Evidenced Based Practice: Classroom to Clinical Laboratory

Evidence based practice (EBP) can be incorporated into the curriculum of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Programs. Current components of curriculum can include EBP in pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic topics. Discussion of EBP topics in the classroom using practices assessed through the Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Initiative (LMBP) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will give students a clear understanding of EBP and how it is used in the clinical laboratory for improved health care quality. Student involvement in Quality Improvement projects to improve laboratory performance and patient outcomes can be developed through capstone projects. Examples of clinical projects and application of EBP into the MLS curriculum are discussed.

Preamble: ‘Evidence in Action: The Laboratory Medicine Best Practice Initiative’

Preamble: ‘Evidence in Action: The Laboratory Medicine Best Practice Initiative’

Effectiveness of automated notification and customer service call centers for timely and accurate reporting of critical values: A laboratory medicine best practices systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo conduct a systematic review of the evidence available in support of automated notification methods and call centers and to acknowledge other considerations in making evidence-based recommendations for best practices in improving the timeliness and accuracy of critical value reporting. Design and methodsThis review followed the Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) review methods (Christenson, et al. 2011). A broad literature search and call for unpublished submissions returned 196 bibliographic records which were screened for eligibility. 41 studies were retrieved. Of these, 4 contained credible evidence for the timeliness and accuracy of automatic notification systems and 5 provided credible evidence for call centers for communicating critical value information in in-patient care settings. ResultsStudies reporting improvement from implementing automated notification findings report mean differences and were standardized using the standard difference in means (d=0.42; 95% CI=0.2–0.62) while studies reporting improvement from implementing call centers generally reported criterion referenced findings and were standardized using odds ratios (OR=22.1; 95% CI=17.1–28.6). ConclusionsThe evidence, although suggestive, is not sufficient to make an LMBP recommendation for or against using automated notification systems as a best practice to improve the timeliness of critical value reporting in an in-patient care setting. Call centers, however, are effective in improving the timeliness of critical value reporting in an in-patient care setting, and meet LMBP criteria to be recommended as an “evidence-based best practice.” DisclaimerThe findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR).

Effectiveness of practices to reduce blood culture contamination: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices systematic review and meta-analysis

This article is a systematic review of the effectiveness of three practices for reducing blood culture contamination rates: venipuncture, phlebotomy teams, and prepackaged preparation/collection (prep) kits. The CDC-funded Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Initiative systematic review methods for quality improvement practices were used. Studies included as evidence were: 9 venipuncture (vs. versus intravenous catheter), 5 phlebotomy team; and 7 prep kit. All studies for venipuncture and phlebotomy teams favored these practices, with meta-analysis mean odds ratios for venipuncture of 2.69 and phlebotomy teams of 2.58. For prep kits 6 studies' effect sizes were not statistically significantly different from no effect (meta-analysis mean odds ratio 1.12). Venipuncture and the use of phlebotomy teams are effective practices for reducing blood culture contamination rates in diverse hospital settings and are recommended as evidence-based "best practices" with high overall strength of evidence and substantial effect size ratings. No recommendation is made for or against prep kits based on uncertain improvement.

Laboratory Medicine Best Practices: Systematic Evidence Review and Evaluation Methods for Quality Improvement

To develop methods for systematically reviewing evidence for identifying effective laboratory medicine (LM) practices associated with improved healthcare quality outcomes. Although many evidence-evaluation systems have been developed, none are designed to include and rate healthcare quality improvement studies to identify evidence-based practices that improve patient safety and LM quality. Validated evidence-based medicine methods established by governmental agencies, the Guide to Community Preventive Services, and others were adapted for the LM field. Key methods modifications included (a) inclusion of quality improvement study designs; (b) mechanisms for inclusion of unpublished evidence, (c) combining of individual ratings of study quality, effect size, and relevance of outcome measures to evaluate consistency of practice evidence; and (d) deriving an overall strength rating to support evidence-based best practice recommendations. The methods follow the process steps of: ask; acquire; appraise; analyze; apply; and assess. Expert panels used the systematic evidence review results on practice effectiveness for improving healthcare quality outcomes consistent with the Institute of Medicine's healthcare quality aims (safe, timely, effective, equitable, efficient, and patient-centered). Adapting and developing methods from validated systems and applying them to systematically review and evaluate practices in LM by using published and unpublished studies is feasible. With these methods, evidence from quality improvement studies can be systematically synthesized and summarized to identify effective LM practices. Practical and scientifically validated demonstration of a positive impact on outcomes ensures that practitioners, policy makers, and decision makers at all levels have the evidence needed for improving healthcare quality and public health.