title: The quality and scope of information provided by medical laboratories to patients before laboratory testing: Survey of the Working Group for Patient Preparation of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this work was to evaluate to what extent the scope and content of information provided to patients is standardized across medical biochemistry laboratories in Croatia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two on-line self-report surveys were sent out: Survey A regarding attitudes on importance of patient preparation and Survey B on the contents of patient preparation instructions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  13/118 laboratories (11%) do not provide written instructions to patients on how to prepare for laboratory testing, and 36 (40%) do not include information about water intake in their instructions. Only half of laboratories provide instructions for prostate-specific antigen (53.8%), female sex hormones (53.7%) and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) (52.5%). Inadequate information about fasting status (55.0%) and 24 hour urine collection (77.9%) were frequent errors with high severity and were associated with the greatest potential to cause patient harm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laboratory professionals in Croatia have a positive attitude towards the importance of patient preparation for laboratory testing. However, the information for laboratory testing is not standardized and frequently lacks guidance for tests related to TDM, coagulation and endocrinology. This study highlights the need for standardized, updated and evidence-based recommendations for patient preparation in order to minimize the risk for patients.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Chemistry, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: nora.nikolac@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolac
authors.affiliation: University Department of Chemistry, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ana-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Simundic
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry Laboratory, Policlinic Bonifarm, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kackov
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Tihana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serdar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Hematology, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases Dr. Fran Mihaljevic, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Adrijana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dorotic
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fumic
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, General Hospital Karlovac Karlovac, Croatia.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gudasic-Vrdoljak
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry Laboratory, General Hospital Zabok, Zabok, Croatia.
authors.forename: Kornelija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klenkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, General Hospital Zadar, Zadar, Croatia.
authors.forename: Jadranka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sambunjak
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidranski
mesh_terms: D001671:Biochemistry; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D061214:Patient Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D059349:Urine Specimen Collection
keywords: Laboratory error; Laboratory testing; Patient preparation; Preanalytical phase; Risk analysis