Strategy for 90% autoverification of clinical chemistry and immunoassay test results using six sigma process improvement
Edward W. Randell,
Garry Short,
Natasha Lee,
Allison Beresford,
Margaret Spencer,
Marina Kennell,
Zoë Moores,
David Parry
Affiliations
Edward W. Randell
Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Health Authority, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6; Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6; Corresponding author at: Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Health Authority, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
Garry Short
Western Health Authority, 1 Brookfield Ave., Corner Brook, NL, Canada A2H 6J7
Natasha Lee
Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Health Authority, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6
Allison Beresford
Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Health Authority, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6
Margaret Spencer
Western Health Authority, 1 Brookfield Ave., Corner Brook, NL, Canada A2H 6J7
Marina Kennell
Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Health Authority, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6
Zoë Moores
Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Health Authority, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6
David Parry
Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Health Authority, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6; Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John’s, NL, Canada A1B 3V6
Six Sigma involves a structured process improvement strategy that places processes on a pathway to continued improvement. The data presented here summarizes a project that took three clinical laboratories from autoverification processes that allowed between about 40% to 60% of tests being auto-verified to more than 90% of tests and samples auto-verified. The project schedule, metrics and targets, a description of the previous system and detailed information on the changes made to achieve greater than 90% auto-verification is presented for this Six Sigma DMAIC (Design, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) process improvement project.
