title: Laboratory request appropriateness in emergency: impact on hospital organization.
abstract: Within the activities of the Risk Management Unit of the Bari Polyclinic Hospital Corporation, an anomalous trend was found, with excessive requests for urgent laboratory tests being made in the time period between 05:00 and 07:45 h. In addition to slowing down laboratory operations, this anomaly suggested the possibility of inappropriate testing, at least in terms of the request mode, if not in absolute terms. An audit was implemented within the facility to check the grounds of this suspicion and to identify any errors and/or critical points. The results gathered are extremely interesting, as they show deficiencies at both the organizational and clinical level. The final objective of the investigation is to draft a common corporate procedure.
authors.affiliation: Medical Management, Bari Polyclinic Hospital Corporation, and Emergency and Organ Transplant Department, Cardiac Surgery Section, Bari University, Italy. mariapia.trisorioliuzzi@fastwebnet.it
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Trisorio Liuzzi
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Attolini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paparella
authors.forename: Giangiuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cappabianca
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Serio
authors.forename: Alessandro S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dell'Erba
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004630:Emergencies; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007558:Italy; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D014600:Utilization Review