Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory
Background: In South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service, ad hoc mean turn-around time (TAT) reporting is an important indicator of performance. However, historic static TAT reporting did not assess very long or very short times. An interactive TAT dashboard was developed using the following...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2020-04-01
|
| Series: | African Journal of Laboratory Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/948 |
| _version_ | 1818248711912816640 |
|---|---|
| author | Naseem Cassim Lindi M. Coetzee Manfred E. Tepper Louella Perelson Deborah K. Glencross |
| author_facet | Naseem Cassim Lindi M. Coetzee Manfred E. Tepper Louella Perelson Deborah K. Glencross |
| author_sort | Naseem Cassim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service, ad hoc mean turn-around time (TAT) reporting is an important indicator of performance. However, historic static TAT reporting did not assess very long or very short times. An interactive TAT dashboard was developed using the following TAT measures; (1) median, (2) 75th percentile and (3) percentage of within cut-off TAT to allow for improved differentiation of TAT performance.
Objectives: The objective of our study was to demonstrate increased efficiency achieved by using an interactive TAT dashboard.
Methods: A retrospective descriptive study design was used. Creatinine TAT outcomes were reported over 122 weeks from a high-volume laboratory in Gauteng, South Africa. The percentage of within cut-off and 75th percentile TAT were analysed and reported using Microsoft Excel. A focus group session was used to populate a cause and effect diagram.
Results: The percentage of within cut-off TAT increased from 10% in week 4 to 90% and higher from week 81. The 75th percentile decreased from 10 hours in week 4 to under 5 h from week 71. Component TAT analysis revealed that the 75th percentile testing was 5 h or longer for weeks 4, 5 and 48. The 75th percentile review TAT ranged from 1 h to 15 h. From week 41, the review TAT was under 1 h.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the use of an interactive TAT dashboard coupled with good management can dramatically improve TAT and efficiency in a high-volume laboratory. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:24:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b83a21143df43a08069a8a4b7728638 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2225-2002 2225-2010 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:24:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Laboratory Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b83a21143df43a08069a8a4b77286382022-12-22T00:20:15ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Laboratory Medicine2225-20022225-20102020-04-0192e1e810.4102/ajlm.v9i2.948255Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratoryNaseem Cassim0Lindi M. Coetzee1Manfred E. Tepper2Louella Perelson3Deborah K. Glencross4National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa; and, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgNational Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa; and, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgNational Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), JohannesburgNational Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), JohannesburgNational Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa; and, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgBackground: In South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service, ad hoc mean turn-around time (TAT) reporting is an important indicator of performance. However, historic static TAT reporting did not assess very long or very short times. An interactive TAT dashboard was developed using the following TAT measures; (1) median, (2) 75th percentile and (3) percentage of within cut-off TAT to allow for improved differentiation of TAT performance. Objectives: The objective of our study was to demonstrate increased efficiency achieved by using an interactive TAT dashboard. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study design was used. Creatinine TAT outcomes were reported over 122 weeks from a high-volume laboratory in Gauteng, South Africa. The percentage of within cut-off and 75th percentile TAT were analysed and reported using Microsoft Excel. A focus group session was used to populate a cause and effect diagram. Results: The percentage of within cut-off TAT increased from 10% in week 4 to 90% and higher from week 81. The 75th percentile decreased from 10 hours in week 4 to under 5 h from week 71. Component TAT analysis revealed that the 75th percentile testing was 5 h or longer for weeks 4, 5 and 48. The 75th percentile review TAT ranged from 1 h to 15 h. From week 41, the review TAT was under 1 h. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the use of an interactive TAT dashboard coupled with good management can dramatically improve TAT and efficiency in a high-volume laboratory.https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/948turn-around-timelaboratory efficiencypathologylaboratory medicine |
| spellingShingle | Naseem Cassim Lindi M. Coetzee Manfred E. Tepper Louella Perelson Deborah K. Glencross Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory African Journal of Laboratory Medicine turn-around-time laboratory efficiency pathology laboratory medicine |
| title | Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory |
| title_full | Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory |
| title_fullStr | Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory |
| title_short | Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turn-around time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory |
| title_sort | timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information part ii assessing the impact of a turn around time dashboard at a high volume laboratory |
| topic | turn-around-time laboratory efficiency pathology laboratory medicine |
| url | https://ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/948 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT naseemcassim timelydeliveryoflaboratoryefficiencyinformationpartiiassessingtheimpactofaturnaroundtimedashboardatahighvolumelaboratory AT lindimcoetzee timelydeliveryoflaboratoryefficiencyinformationpartiiassessingtheimpactofaturnaroundtimedashboardatahighvolumelaboratory AT manfredetepper timelydeliveryoflaboratoryefficiencyinformationpartiiassessingtheimpactofaturnaroundtimedashboardatahighvolumelaboratory AT louellaperelson timelydeliveryoflaboratoryefficiencyinformationpartiiassessingtheimpactofaturnaroundtimedashboardatahighvolumelaboratory AT deborahkglencross timelydeliveryoflaboratoryefficiencyinformationpartiiassessingtheimpactofaturnaroundtimedashboardatahighvolumelaboratory |