Project Background

Current State

Resources for phlebotomy services at SPH are finite while the need for service continues to grow at 3% YoY. The funding provided for the service does not match the cultural expectation for morning collection TAT. New strategies need to be employed to ensure our resources are deployed in a way that best meets clinical need and workflows on the wards.

There are a significant number of PSLS related to the laboratory’s collection service, often associated with TAT on STAT or Timed Collections. There is also a desire to have more lab results available to support discharging patients. There is no way to indicate the priority of discharge blood work in the current HIM/LIS systems.

Target

By January 1, 2019, all routine morning bloodwork from the wards at St Paul’s Hospital will be available to providers by 9:30AM to facilitate appropriate patient care, flow and access.

Opportunities

Additional funding for new laboratory positions provide additional bandwidth and an opportunity to undertake process improvement.

Monitoring Progress

Outcome Measures

Percent of AM Orders Meeting Target

Median and 90th Percentile Collect and Report Times

Process Measures

MLA Workload

  • Draws/Staff/Day

Transport Time (Collect to Receive)

Analytical Time (Receive to File)

Balancing Measures

ED TAT between 7am and 11am

Staff Satisfaction

  • Sick Calls
  • Survey Data

Next Steps