Unnecessary repeat requesting of tests: an audit in a government hospital immunology laboratory.
Unnecessary repeat requesting of tests can make up a large proportion of a laboratory's workload. This audit set out to establish the size of this problem and to identify the circumstances under which these repeat requests were made in a government tertiary hospital immunology laboratory. The numbers of tests for immunoglobulin measurement, common autoantibodies, and tumour markers that were repeated over a 12 month period were analysed by interrogating the Delphic laboratory computer system using a management information system for raw data enquiry protocol. Repeat requests within 12 weeks of a previous request made up 16.78% of the total workload. The total cost of the tests was estimated at 132 151 US dollars. The waste of technician time and reagents as a result of unnecessary repeat testing is excessive. Many of these tests might be eliminated with the use of interventions such as computerised reminders.
Kwok
J
J
Clinical Immunology Division, Department of Pathology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong. kwoksy@ha.org.hk
Jones
B
B
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods*; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007136:Immunoglobulins