Turnaround Time
Suppose you want to measure turnaround time for ED specimens. This naturally raises the question What is turnaround time?
According to one article in Clinical Biochemist, although clinicians complain about turnaround times being too long, most don't agree on what is acceptable. Or even what it is: according to a 1998 CAP Q-Probes program, over 40% of physicians say the clock starts when a test is ordered. They perceive delay, not process. By contrast, 41% of labs say turnaround time starts at receipt, 27% at order, and 18% at collection.
The problem is simple for a bench tech. Measurements of performance as an average, 90th percentile, or median time all can be heard as "work faster." And if techs work faster for the sake of speed, they can make careless mistakes. It really doesn't matter how it's defined. Once techs get the message they aren't working fast enough, the damage is done.
But measuring turnaround time as an indicator of variation can show where to improve the process. This variation may be preanalytical (ED ordering time and collection), analytical (handling and instrument), or postanalytical (verification and completion). Measuring steps of the total deemphasizes a single speed limit and may be better accepted by techs.
If the time from drop off to centrifugation is longer or more variable at busier times of the day, this may be reduced by adding a STAT centrifuge. If the time from chemistry bench to LIS varies, autoverification of routine results may allow techs to concentrate on abnormal values. Maybe, the problem is outside the laboratory altogether. Working faster may not be the answer. Imagine that.
It's like buying a Ferrari to travel from your house to the post office when the real problems are traffic lights, afternoon school buses, or too many pedestrians. You don't need to drive faster. You need a different route.