Innovations to Improve Quality in Blood Testing
February 20, 2012
New procedures and regular in-house phlebotomy training has greatly increased the quality and accuracy of blood tests in medical facilities across the country. Hospital emergency departments (ED) regularly experience inconsistencies in the results of blood test requisitions when staff, who are not certified phlebotomy technicians routinely perform patient blood draws. In such cases, it is not uncommon for laboratories to receive mislabeled or unlabeled specimens, Hemolysis or specimens that are clotted or are found to be Quality Not Sufficient (QNS).
Medical facilities that re-evaluated their blood testing procedures and began to employ dedicated staff who possessed their phlebotomy certification found that the quality of blood test results improved dramatically. They also found the turnaround time was greatly reduced with no issues in specimen integrity. Implementing even these simple changes has a profound positive effect on patients who are already often under significant stress in a hospital ED. Some hospitals and other medical facilities have also begun to provide educational training to all technicians who draw blood in addition to the required updating of their phlebotomy certification. It is becoming increasingly clear that eliminating a professionally trained phlebotomy technician position is less cost effective in the long run. This practice also puts patients at greater risk with inaccurate results or blood draws that must be done over again.
Accredited phlebotomy schools understand the importance of proper laboratory procedures as well as accurate blood draws to preserve integrity and prevent contamination of specimens. Incorporating online phlebotomy certification courses within the workplace also helps to ensure that every phlebotomy technician will be kept up-to-date with the latest techniques and tools used in their profession. With the constant advancements that take place in the medical field, it is imperative for all health care facilities to keep abreast of new innovations. It is equally important to hire dedicated staff that understands how to incorporate such advancements. It is through the use of trained professionals that these facilities will realize true savings in the long run through less errors occurring both on the floor and within testing laboratories.
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Phlebotomy Schools
February 22, 2012