Hospital Post-Discharge Laboratory Results Management System

The transition of clinical care from the hospital setting to outpatient follow-up creates patient safety risk due to the changes in clinical management and inefficiencies of information exchange. Diagnostic findings from the hospital setting are often important for patient care in the transition to the outpatient setting and are particularly important for test results that return after the patient has been discharged from the hospital. Prompt examination of test results and clear channels for communicating the information to patients and providers are key mechanisms for reducing medical errors during care transitions, especially in hospitalist care models. Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, AZ, created a quality improvement solution utilizing an existing electronic laboratory reporting system, a Microsoft Access database solution, patient admission and discharge time-stamp data, and a single multiuser email account to ensure the review of all laboratory results generated after hospital discharge. Results of laboratory tests originating in the hospital and finalized after patient discharge are routed through a Microsoft Access programmed database to report findings to a multi-user Microsoft Outlook email account. Filters on laboratory data direct pertinent data to the multi-user account for clinical review. The account is reviewed each day by a designated hospitalist provider and action is taken on the results to facilitate care as needed to manage postdischarge laboratory data results. The automated laboratory result tracking solution is a cost efficient quality improvement initiative, utilizing basic data exchange from the hospital’s laboratory information system and inpatient stay data which is routed through common desktop office productivity software to create an organizationally driven patient safety solution to manage post-discharge laboratory data results.