A laboratory gets numerous complaints regarding the length of time it takes hematology results to get to the emergency department. What would be an appropriate response?
a. Make this a quality assurance project.
b. Ignore the complaints.
c. Explain why it takes so long.
d. Tell the employees to work faster.
ANS: A
Quality assurance evaluates the process from the time a test is ordered until it is reported to the correct patient chart. One of the responsibilities a clinical laboratory has is to get results to physicians and other caretakers in a timely manner; the acceptable turnaround time (TAT) for even one procedure will vary depending on the reason it is ordered. Obviously, an emergency department has a need for rapid TAT. Complaints from caregivers should never be ignored; it probably is not reasonable to tell employees to work faster, and explaining why it takes so long will not help provide good patient care.
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