John:
Our median turnaround times for ED lab requests are very similar to yours.
We monitor the 95th percentile for ED turnaround times, and it hovers around
80 minutes. I don't know anything about the size of Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital or ED, but reporting 90% of ED lab requests within 45 minutes is
impressive. I do not think we would be able to match that.
I would say, however, that one has to be very careful in comparing
turnaround time statistics. The numbers can be considerably different, for
example, depending on whether you measure the time elapsed between order and
report or accession and report. The specific tests included in the
statistics is important, as well. I would guess that the 90th percentile
turnaround time for hematology (CBC) panels in our lab is between 30 and 40
minutes, and we manually review 10-15% of our automated differentials. At
the other end of the spectrum, some immunoassays require 18 minutes on the
instrument, in addition to the 10-15 minutes for centrifugation, so the
minimum turnaround time is more than 30 minutes.
Best regards,
Roger
Roger L. Bertholf, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pathology
Director of Clinical Chemistry & Toxicology
University of Florida Health Science Center/Jacksonville
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Beilby, John [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 8:14 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Turn Around Times
>
>
> Dear All
>
> I know turn around times from ED were discussed recently but
> I am not able to get a good idea of the turn around times ED
> require, and the TATs that biochemistry labs can provide to ED.
>
> The ED of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital requires all general
> chemistry and tropinin results within 45 minutes 90% of the time.
>
> The statistics that we have collected show our median TATs
> for U&E and LFTs are 34 minutes with a 90th percentile of 47
> minutes. For troponin T the median TAT is 39 minutes and the
> 90 percentile is 58 minutes.
>
> What I am interested in finding out is the turn around times
> expected by other Emergency Departments and what are the
> median and 90 percentile turn around times that biochemistry
> laboratories are providing?
>
> Thanks
>
> John
>
>
> Dr John Beilby
> Senior Biochemist
> Clinical Biochemistry
> PathCentre
> Locked Bag 2009
> Nedlands
> Western Australia 6009
>
> Tel 61 8 9346 2368 Fax: 61 8 9346 3882 [log in to unmask]
>
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