Case study. The purpose of this case study is to: Understand the challenges of sending paper requests and receiving paper reports, by post

Transcription

1 Case study The purpose of this case study is to: Understand the challenges of sending paper requests and receiving paper reports, by post Document the current process for a send away test Describe the benefits of electronic receipt of requests and transmission of results

2 The new test route between Manchester and Oxford is the first one that has been established outside existing networks on a national level. Background A high majority of NPEx customers have subscribed to the national NPEx service to enable digitised send away tests across local networks. The Immunology department at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) currently accept 81% of test referrals via NPEx, from across Greater Manchester (previously Greater Manchester Pathology Network, GMPN), with only 19% still on paper. As a specialist referral centre themselves, the Immunology department at CMFT send around 1,080 test requests away per annum, which is less than 1% of the total work they do. On notice of the laboratory at Oxford subscribing to NPEx, CMFT Immunology were keen to start realising the benefits NPEx brings to referring tests; improved namely turnaround improving turnaround time and eliminates time and transcribing the errors. elimination of transcribing errors. Enabling these two laboratories to communicate using NPEx involved a number of challenges that are outlined in this document. Those that are sent away will be sent to national reference centres such as Oxford. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) subscribed to NPEx in 2015.

3 Challenges of using paper Before Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was introduced to NPEx the only way for CMFT way for to CMFT send requests to send requests away and away receive and the recieve results the back results from back Oxford, from was Oxford, by paper, was by via the post. paper, via the post. This process caused many difficulties for CMFT, these challenges included: 15 High turnaround time: CMFT s median turnaround time for all referred tests is 15 days.? Results entered incorrectly when they are received at CMFT, meaning that the clinician may receive the wrong results for a patient.? Lost post, or post sent to the wrong location, often due to human error or a poorly written request from. form. ERROR x An amended report highlighting the wrong and correct result will then need need to be to issued. Both and the both the clinician, and and possibly the the patient, patient needing need to be to made be made aware aware of the of error. the error. x Lost Clinical samples, transcription Needing errors. the patient to In be cases re-bled. of incorrect In cases results of incorrect results the consequences the consequences include include unnecessary treatment or delayed treatment, delayed treatment, both of which both of could be potentially which could catastrophic. be potentially catastrophic.??? Lost samples, requiring the patient to be re-bled. A new visit for the patient results in further wasted time and an increased clinical risk.

4 Service users rapidly experienced the benefits of NPEx through a simple series of implementation activities. Implementation Once Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had confirmed and completed their internal NPEx testing, CMFT approached implementation by: 1 2 Building a working relationship with members of the Oxford Lab Medicine team. Enabling Enable message translation from Manchester PMIP to Oxford HL Setting up new tests in NPEx and receiving test information from Oxford. Complete Completing testing to to ensure precise and accurate information was being passed between the labs. 5 Ensuring Ensure users users are are accurate and confident in using the service. Checking information sent with lab reports was presented clearly. in 6

5 ...the real benefit of getting results back to the clinician and the patient faster is invaluable... - Robin Lythe, Senior Biomedical Scientist NPEX NPEx will now enable CMFT to to send a a digital request over over to to Oxford s LIMS LIMS system, system, providing providing clear and legible clear and information legible information that Oxford that can Oxford easily understand. can easily understand. The NPEx process The NPEx uses process minimal uses paper, minimal only requiring paper, that only the requiring user prints that a the shipping user prints manifest a shipping that is packaged manifest with that the is packaged samples by with post/courier. the samples which is sent by post/courier. Once the samples have been analysed and the the results are are available made available in Oxford s in LIMS Oxford s system, LIMS system, they will automatically they will automatically be sent through be sent NPEx, through with NPEx. CMFT CMFT receiving will the receive results the results instantaneously, improving therefore improving the turnaround their time turnaround at CMFT time by 2-3 by 2-3 days. days. Improved quality of request information Improved accuracy of results returned as laboratory staff at CMFT no longer need to transcribe these results,removing results, the the potential for for manual input manual errors input errors Reduced staff cost due to reduction in staff time spent sending samples away, chasing up missing reports and their LIMS system Same day reporting due to the ability to return results back to CMFT as soon as Oxford tests receives the the sample sample Paperless reporting with Oxford Clear audit trail logging enables CMFT to see exactly where samples are located, time & date of key activities and the persons involved in performing those activities Easy for CMFT laboratory managers to see where the business process has come to a halt with date & time stamp evidence Test requests and results no longer get lost in the post as the location details are legible

6 Having converted to NPEx as a performing laboratory some time ago, this project represented a great opportunity to realise the benefits of NPEx from a referral lab perspective. The chance to improve the quality of the work we produce should never be missed and the real benefit of getting results back to the clinician and the patient faster is invaluable in terms of the service we offer to our users. Although there is a short-term requirement for time and resources to be invested into the project, the long-term benefits of improved quality and significant cost savings will more than make up for this. - Robin Lythe, Senior Biomedical Scientist at CMFT - Robin Lythe, Senior Biomedical Scientist at CMFT