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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
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Rapid Fractionation and Isolation of Whole Blood Components in Samples Obtained from a Community-based Setting
Published on: November 30, 2015
[Regional pilot study to evaluate the laboratory turnaround time according to the client source]
M Salinas1, M López-Garrigós, M Yago
1Laboratorio Hospital Universitario de San Juan, Alicante, España. salinas mar@gva.es
Summary
Laboratory turnaround times show significant disparities across eight Spanish health areas, impacting patient care. Continuous process improvement and benchmarking are essential for enhancing laboratory service efficiency and client satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Laboratory Science
- Health Services Research
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Laboratory turnaround time (TAT) is a critical indicator of healthcare efficiency.
- Variability in TAT can impact clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.
- Standardizing TAT across different healthcare settings is a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess and compare laboratory turnaround times for key diagnostic tests across eight health areas in the Valencian Community, Spain.
- To identify disparities in TAT based on patient source (inpatients, primary care) and test urgency (routine, stat).
- To evaluate the impact of laboratory operational factors on TAT.
Main Methods:
- Utilized internal Laboratory Information System (LIS) data to track test request and validation times.
- Developed indicators to measure same-day validation rates for routine tests (full blood count, serum glucose, thyrotropin).
- Recorded urgent (stat) test TAT in minutes (serum troponin, potassium) and analyzed data using Data Warehouse and OLAP cube software.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in TAT were observed for 12 a.m. inpatient tests and same-day primary care tests.
- Variability in stat test TAT correlated with hospital size, activity levels, and laboratory physician validation processes.
- Identified substantial TAT disparities among the eight surveyed health areas.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights considerable variations in laboratory turnaround times across the Valencian Community's health areas.
- Diverse test requesting sources necessitate ongoing process redesign and benchmarking.
- Continuous improvement initiatives are crucial for optimizing laboratory services and achieving client satisfaction.
