Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Enhancing Prostate Tumor Biobanking Reliability with Improved Sampling Technique and Histological Characterization
Published on: November 17, 2023
Improving the quality of information on pathology request forms
Leslie Burnett1, Douglas Chesher, Yugan Mudaliar
1Pacific Laboratory Medicine Services, University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards NSW 2065, Australia. Lburnett@med.usyd.edu.au
Insights
Personalized stamps significantly reduced incomplete pathology request forms by improving data accuracy. This simple intervention enhanced healthcare systems, cutting missing information from 43% to 2%.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Systems Improvement
- Clinical Pathology
- Laboratory Medicine
Background:
- Pathology request forms frequently lack essential data, including physician identification and signatures.
- Audits revealed missing doctor's name, unique provider number, or signature as common issues.
- Incomplete forms pose challenges for clinical chemistry laboratory operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify causes of incomplete pathology request forms.
- To evaluate a low-cost intervention for improving data completeness.
- To assess the impact of personalized stamps on form accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Investigated causes of incomplete pathology request forms through an audit.
- Implemented an intervention providing doctors with self-inking stamps containing their name and unique provider number.
- Compared the effectiveness of stamps versus a memorandum for improving compliance.
Main Results:
- The intervention resulted in a dramatic decrease in incomplete forms, from 43% to 2%.
- This improvement was immediate and sustained over the study period.
- Distributing a memorandum alone had no significant effect on form completeness.
Conclusions:
- Personalized self-inking stamps offer a simple, low-cost solution to reduce incomplete pathology request forms.
- Systems improvement strategies can effectively enhance healthcare processes.
- The study highlights the importance of accurate data in laboratory medicine.
Background:
We have investigated the causes of incomplete pathology request forms received at our clinical chemistry laboratory. Based on a request form audit we found that the data most frequently missing from a pathology request form was the doctor's name, unique identification provider number, or signature.
Methods:
We examined the effect of issuing the requesting doctors with self-inking stamps personalized with their name and a unique provider number.
Results:
The intervention led to an immediate and sustained improvement in compliance, with the proportion of incomplete forms falling from 43% to 2%. In contrast, distribution of a memorandum alone made no significant change to the number of pathology request forms with incomplete data arriving at the laboratory.
Conclusion:
This study describes a simple and low-cost solution to one of the causes of incomplete pathology request forms. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of systems improvement in health care.
Related Concept Videos
01:11Purpose of Health Records I
Here's a breakdown of how health records serve these purposes:
01:30Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
01:21Methods of Documentation III: PIE
01:06Legal Guidelines for Documentation
01:30Health Information Technology and Healthcare Information System
Health Information Technology, commonly called HIT, integrates advanced information systems and technology in healthcare settings. Its primary functions include:
01:24Automated Microbial Diagnostics