REASONABLE LABORATORY APPLICATIONS ANALYSIS EXAMPLE

Abstract

The Ministry of Health has initiated studies to reduce the number of unnecessary tests requested from medical laboratories in order to increase the efficiency and standardization of the test results, with the minimum number of tests to be diagnosed in a shorter time with the minimum number of tests. In this context, accurate, low-cost and less time-consuming practices have been planned under the title of “Reasonable Laboratory”. This application is followed by SAS (Health Accreditation Standards) and quality and accreditation applications in health systems, and platforms such as SINA, where statistics are made by combining the data of all health institutions. Our hospital has SAS and HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management System Society) level 7 certificate. In this context, laboratory SAS indicators and HIMSS laboratory decision supports, which provide efficiency and accuracy traceability in hospital laboratories, are implemented and followed with HIMS integration. “Rational laboratory” practices, which were initiated by the Ministry of Health in all health institution laboratories in 2020, are also included in these practices. Our aim is to evaluate all these applications created in the laboratory in terms of cost per patient. For this purpose, the total number of outpatient clinics and per-patient examination rates were calculated before and after laboratory applications. The total number of patients who applied for the years 2019 and 2022 and the number of biochemistry tests requested were taken and the number of examinations per patient was calculated. Biochemistry parameters were preferred because of the easy standardization of sampling conditions, especially at the preanalytical stage, and because of the increasing kit prices. There was a 65% decrease in the number of examinations per patient in every 2 years. Similar applications are made in other laboratories. In addition, such applications can be applied in pharmaceutical materials and other health service offerings and added value can be provided.