Canned Comments in the Hospital Laboratory Information System Can Decrease Microbiology Requests

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Laboratory Information Systems
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Microbiology laboratory calls from healthcare providers can disrupt workflow.
• Calls often aim to clarify culture results and obtain provider education.
• Characterizing these calls is essential for workflow optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize incoming calls to a microbiology laboratory.
• To develop and implement targeted educational comments within the laboratory information system.
• To evaluate the impact of these comments on call volume and nature.

Main Methods:

• Calls were logged and categorized over a defined period.
• Targeted comments addressing common call subjects were developed.
• Comments were implemented in the laboratory information system, and call data were collected for a subsequent year for comparison.

Main Results:

• Overall call volume decreased from 496 to 419 calls post-implementation.
• Caller training levels varied significantly, but the nature of inquiries remained consistent.
• Implementation led to increased release of pre-existing data (e.g., suppressed susceptibility results); specific comments on antibiotic resistance did not reduce call volume.

Conclusions:

• Integrating comments into the laboratory information system effectively reduced overall call volume.
• Targeted educational comments, while reducing some calls, were not as effective as initially anticipated.
• Further strategies may be needed to fully optimize provider education and reduce laboratory interruptions.