Review of Key Performance Indicator in a Hematology Laboratory: A Preventable Source of Error

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the key performance indicators and the laboratory errors in the hematology laboratory. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the DDRRL Hematology laboratory from October 2021 to September 2022. Data from the blood bank and hematological laboratory were collected. The primary investigator managed every step of the data-gathering operation. All the tools required for the process were gathered and arranged on a tray or trolley to be safe, accessible, and readily visible. Sterile glass or plastic tubes with rubber covers were used for blood collection. The information acquired during the study was inserted into a computer using an Excel sheet. SPSS version 20 was used for the analysis. All samples from the hematology section of DDRRL were included in this study, while all error-free samples were excluded. RESULT: From July to December, 414,400 hematology request forms were collected from OPD, private wards, IPD and Emergency. Overall, 2376 (0.573%) hematology laboratory errors were detected, of which 419 were Pre-analytical errors, 122 were analytical, and 1834 were post-analytical errors. CONCLUSION: We can lower the errors' likelihood if we appropriately handle the pre-analytical variables. Additionally, care must be taken when training workers to minimize the possibility of mistakes.