Tumour markers workload of an university hospital laboratory two years after the redesign of the optical reading request forms

Autor: Umberta Mozzo, Nicoletta Melloni, Paolo Rizzotti, Sandra Meneghelli, Anna Ferrari, Romolo M. Dorizzi, Annalisa Rossini
Rok vydání: 2008
Předmět:
Zdroj: Accreditation and Quality Assurance. 13:133-137
ISSN: 1432-0517
0949-1775
DOI: 10.1007/s00769-008-0373-y
Popis: Tumour markers are traditionally requested in fixed panels more than on the basis of specific conditions or professional guidelines, wasting a large amount of resources with little or no benefit to the patients. In the summer 2004 the optical-reading requests form used by our laboratory was redesigned; the section “Apparatus” was added and since then tumour markers have been measured only if the specifically related organ has been simultaneously and coherently marked (e.g. liver when AFP is requested). The hospital clinical staff has been involved in the project and has been extensively informed through meetings and paper and electronic newsletters and messages. Thereafter, when the request form has not been correctly completed, a reminder has been electronically forwarded to the requesting physician asking for more information. In the first trimester of 2006, 30.9% fewer tumour markers were measured in inpatients than in the first trimester 2004 (e.g. AFP: −37.6%; CEA: −30.6%; CA 19-9: −43%; TPA: −36.6%); the decrease of outpatients requests in the same period was about 9.2%. Inpatients workload further decreased in 2006 versus 2005 while the outpatients workload increased. In conclusion, small administrative changes and an intensive information effort about appropriate requesting of tumour markers induced a relevant workload reduction in a short time.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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