Risk Management in a Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory

To ensure compliance with new laboratory standards, it is imperative to adopt risk-based thinking, which involves a systematic examination of the functions, procedures, and activities associated with risks and opportunities. This article aims to explore the implementation of risk-based thinking in medical biology laboratories and to highlight the challenges inherent in this approach.

This descriptive study was conducted in the biochemistry laboratory of the Main Military Teaching Hospital of Tunis during the first half of 2024. A risk analysis was performed by a working group to identify failures by analyzing non-conformities recorded during the study period. The group adopted the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology, an inductive approach well-suited to process analysis and mastered by all participants. Subsequently, a corrective action plan was developed for each process phase.

Across the entire laboratory workflow, 33 distinct failure modes were identified and cataloged for each step, followed by a criticality analysis. The distribution of these failures was 36.36% in the pre-analytical phase, 33.34% in the analytical phase, and 30.3% in the post-analytical phase. A review of the severity of their effects revealed that a significant portion constituted major risks.

In response to the major risks identified at each stage of the laboratory workflow, a corrective action plan has been proposed. This plan outlines specific actions designed to reduce the criticality of these risks and enhance patient safety and quality of service.