Implementation of an automated alert system of critical results in hospitalized and emergency patients

The accurate and timely identification and notification of critical results (CR) are crucial to ensure patient safety and is an integral part of the process of medical validation of laboratory results. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether the implementation of an automated alert system care process based on CR from emergency department and inpatient units, could reduce the average length of stay and mortality.

A 2-year case-control study, where we compared the process of reporting CR by telephone with reporting via secure text messaging, in which the CR was directly communicated to the provider on their smartphone device.

During the study, a total of 1,242 CR were included in the control group and 1,185 CR in the intervention group. Comparing pre- and post-implementation data, a significant improvement was observed in CR notification efficiency, with a marked reduction in turnaround time when using secure text messaging. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in the delay to first therapeutic intervention, average length of stay, and mortality.

Secure text messaging has facilitated the reporting of CR to targeted physicians to provide more effective care to their patients and to facilitate rapid and timely intervention.