1
|
Garcia-Castrillo L, Cadamuro J, Dodt C, Lauwaert D, Hachimi-Idrissi S, Van Der Linden C, Bergs J, Costelloe S, Grossmann F, Koca A, Palomäki A, Ruiz JL, Stonys R, Thorsteinsdottir TK, von Meyer A, Vermeersch P, Abellas Alvarez MC, Eker P, Golea A, Kurland L, Lippi G, Zhilenkova Y, Sehmi K. Recommendations for blood sampling in emergency departments from the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EUSEM), European Society for Emergency Nursing (EuSEN), and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) Working Group for the Preanalytical Phase. Executive summary. Clin Chem Lab Med 2024; 62:1538-1547. [PMID: 38581294 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2024-0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
AIM Blood Sampling Guidelines have been developed to target European emergency medicine-related professionals involved in the blood sampling process (e.g. physicians, nurses, phlebotomists working in the ED), as well as laboratory physicians and other related professionals. The guidelines population focus on adult patients. The development of these blood sampling guidelines for the ED setting is based on the collaboration of three European scientific societies that have a role to play in the preanalytical phase process: EuSEN, EFLM, and EUSEM. The elaboration of the questions was done using the PICO procedure, literature search and appraisal was based on the GRADE methodology. The final recommendations were reviewed by an international multidisciplinary external review group. RESULTS The document includes the elaborated recommendations for the selected sixteen questions. Three in pre-sampling, eight regarding sampling, three post-sampling, and two focus on quality assurance. In general, the quality of the evidence is very low, and the strength of the recommendation in all the questions has been rated as weak. The working group in four questions elaborate the recommendations, based mainly on group experience, rating as good practice. CONCLUSIONS The multidisciplinary working group was considered one of the major contributors to this guideline. The lack of quality information highlights the need for research in this area of the patient care process. The peculiarities of the emergency medical areas need specific considerations to minimise the possibility of errors in the preanalytical phase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Garcia-Castrillo
- Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Janne Cadamuro
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christoph Dodt
- Emergency Department, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Door Lauwaert
- München Klinik gGmbH, Clinic for Acute and Emergency Care, Munich, Germany
| | - Said Hachimi-Idrissi
- Universiteit Gent Faculteit Geneeskunde en Gezondheidswetenschappen, Emergency Medicine, Gent, Belgium
- Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent, Emergency Medicine, Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Jochen Bergs
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Research Group Healthcare & Ethics, Hasselt University, Limburg, Belgium
- Department of Healthcare, PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hasselt, Netherlands
| | - Sean Costelloe
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cork University Hospital Group, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Ayca Koca
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Ari Palomäki
- Kanta-Häme Central Hospital, Tampere Universities, Hämeenlinna, Finland
| | - Jose Luis Ruiz
- Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario de La Ribera, Valenciana, Spain
| | - Ricardas Stonys
- Center of Laboratory Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | | | - Pieter Vermeersch
- KU Leuven University Hospitals Leuven, Laboratory Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Pinar Eker
- Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Maltepe Universitesi Tip Fakultesi, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Adela Golea
- Emergency Department, Cluj-Napoca County Emergency Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lisa Kurland
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Universita degli Studi di Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yulia Zhilenkova
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
| | - Kawaldip Sehmi
- International Alliance of Patients' Organizations, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Huf W, Mohns M, Almeta E, Lister R, Buchta C, Demyanets S, Buchberger W, Ettl B. Benchmarking medical laboratory performance on a global scale. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1363957. [PMID: 38952740 PMCID: PMC11215183 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1363957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and aims Laboratory performance as a relative concept needs repetitive benchmarking for continuous improvement of laboratory procedures and medical processes. Benchmarking as such establishes reference levels as a basis for improvements efforts for healthcare institutions along the diagnosis cycle, with the patient at its center. But while this concept seems to be generally acknowledged in laboratory medicine, a lack of practical implementation hinders progress at a global level. The aim of this study was to examine the utility of a specific combination of indicators and survey-based data collection approach, and to establish a global benchmarking dataset of laboratory performance for decision makers in healthcare institutions. Methods The survey consisted of 44 items relating to laboratory operations in general and three subscales identified in previous studies. A global sample of laboratories was approached by trained professionals. Results were analyzed with standard descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. Dimensional reduction of specific items was performed using confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in individual laboratory scores for the three subscales of "Operational performance," "Integrated clinical care performance," and "Financial sustainability" for the high-level concept of laboratory performance. Results and conclusions In total, 920 laboratories from 55 countries across the globe participated in the survey, of which 401 were government hospital laboratories, 296 private hospital laboratories, and 223 commercial laboratories. Relevant results include the need for digitalization and automation along the diagnosis cycle. Formal quality management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 15189 etc.) need to be adapted more broadly to increase patient safety. Monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) relating to healthcare performance was generally low (in the range of 10-30% of laboratories overall), and as a particularly salient result, only 19% of laboratories monitored KPIs relating to speeding up diagnosis and treatment. Altogether, this benchmark elucidates current practice and has the potential to guide improvement efforts and standardization in quality & safety for patients and employees alike as well as sustainability of healthcare systems around the globe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Huf
- Karl Landsteiner Institute for Clinical Risk Management, Vienna, Austria
- Research Unit for Quality and Efficiency in Medicine, Institute for Public Health, Medical Decision Making and HTA, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Christoph Buchta
- Austrian Association for Quality Assurance and Standardization of Medical and Diagnostic Tests (ÖQUASTA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Svitlana Demyanets
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinic Hietzing, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Buchberger
- Research Unit for Quality and Efficiency in Medicine, Institute for Public Health, Medical Decision Making and HTA, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Brigitte Ettl
- Karl Landsteiner Institute for Clinical Risk Management, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Huf W, Mohns M, Bünning Z, Lister R, Garmatiuk T, Buchta C, Ettl B. Benchmarking medical laboratory performance: survey validation and results for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Clin Chem Lab Med 2022; 60:830-841. [PMID: 35344647 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2021-1349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Medical laboratory performance is a relative concept, as are quality and safety in medicine. Therefore, repetitive benchmarking appears to be essential for sustainable improvement in health care. The general idea in this approach is to establish a reference level, upon which improvement may be strived for and quantified. While the laboratory community traditionally is highly aware of the need for laboratory performance and public scrutiny is more intense than ever due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, few initiatives span the globe. The aim of this study was to establish a good practice approach towards benchmarking on a high abstraction level for three key dimensions of medical laboratory performance, generate a tentative snapshot of the current state of the art in the region of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and thus set the stage for global follow-up studies. METHODS The questionnaire used and previously published in this initiative consisted of 50 items, roughly half relating to laboratory operations in general with the other half addressing more specific topics. An international sample of laboratories from EMEA was approached to elicit high fidelity responses with the help of trained professionals. Individual item results were analyzed using standard descriptive statistics. Dimensional reduction of specific items was performed using exploratory factor analysis and assessed with confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in individual laboratory scores for the three subscales of "Operational performance", "Integrated clinical care performance", and "Financial sustainability". RESULTS Altogether, 773 laboratories participated in the survey, of which 484 were government hospital laboratories, 129 private hospital laboratories, 146 commercial laboratories, and 14 were other types of laboratories (e.g. research laboratories). Respondents indicated the need for digitalization (e.g. use of IT for order management, auto-validation), automation (e.g. pre-analytics, automated sample transportation), and establishment of formal quality management systems (e.g. ISO 15189, ISO 9001) as well as sustainably embedding them in the fabric of laboratory operations. Considerable room for growth also exists for services provided to physicians, such as "Diagnostic pathways guidance", "Proactive consultation on complex cases", and "Real time decision support" which were provided by less than two thirds of laboratories. Concordantly, the most important kind of turn-around time (TAT) for clinicians, sample-to-result TAT, was monitored by only 40% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, the need for stronger integration of laboratories into the clinical care process became apparent and should be a main trajectory of future laboratory management. Factor analysis confirmed the theoretical constructs of the questionnaire design phase, resulting in a reasonably valid tool for further benchmarking activities on the three aimed-for key dimensions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Huf
- Karl Landsteiner Institute for Clinical Risk Management, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | - Christoph Buchta
- Austrian Association for Quality Assurance and Standardization of Medical and Diagnostic Tests (ÖQUASTA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte Ettl
- Karl Landsteiner Institute for Clinical Risk Management, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|