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Increased Patient Satisfaction and a Reduction in Pre-Analytical Errors Following Implementation of an Electronic
Michalis Kantartjis1,2, Stacy E F Melanson2,3, Athena K Petrides2,3
1Departments of Medicine.
Laboratory Medicine
|September 22, 2017
Summary
Implementing an electronic specimen collection module significantly improved patient wait times and satisfaction in phlebotomy. This system also reduced service times and critical preanalytical errors, enhancing the overall patient experience.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Laboratory Science
- Health Informatics
- Patient Experience Research
Background:
- Patient satisfaction in phlebotomy is crucial and linked to overall hospital perception.
- Wait times and venipuncture experience are key determinants of patient satisfaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of an integrated electronic health record (EHR)-laboratory information system (LIS) with an electronic specimen collection module.
- To assess changes in patient service times, preanalytical errors, wait times, and patient satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of pre- and post-implementation data for an EHR-LIS and electronic specimen collection module.
- Measurement of patient service times and preanalytical error rates.
- Assessment of patient wait times and satisfaction via a 5-question survey.
Main Results:
- Increased percentage of patients waiting <10 minutes (86% to 93%).
- Significant decrease in median total service time (6 to 5 minutes).
- Substantial reduction in preanalytical errors (3.20 to 1.93 per 1000 specimens).
- Improved overall patient satisfaction across all survey questions.
Conclusions:
- Implementation of an electronic specimen collection module offers significant benefits.
- The system leads to decreased patient wait and service times.
- Improved patient satisfaction and a reduction in preanalytical errors were observed.