Laboratory service

When a state-of-the-art lab opened, some feared the new technology. Employees worried it would replace jobs. But the results may surprise you. See how adapting to change is helping patients, workers and Kaiser Permanente.

• Reviewing upcoming ultrasound appointments to schedule reminder calls
• Dividing call duties among different assigned staffers to ensure privacy
• Calling a day in advance of appointments to discuss patient instructions

What can your team do to reach out to patients? And how could your team work with other teams to improve service? 

• Assigning a point person to work with physicians and departments to ensure patients have the needed lab orders
• Coordinating efforts across the multiple departments that engage in a patient's treatment
• Assigning a backup assistant to ensure the point duties are covered

What can your team do to identify where things "fall through the cracks"? What else could your team do to put the patient at the center? 

• Assessing the problem and working together to a solution
• Converting extra closet space into a dressing room for patients
• Realizing even small solutions pay large dividends

 What can your team do to use your physical space more efficiently? 

• Opening the lab a half-hour earlier to prevent long lines at the open of business
• Shifting work schedules and staggering lunch hours to have more staff covering available time
• Cross-training staff to register patients, process specimens and draw blood

 What can your team do to improve its workflow? 

• Identifying the problem of lab wait times and its root causes
• Employing a "one-on-one" style of service so more staffers help reduce the queue
• Having lab technicians handle patients from check-in to blood draw

 What can your team do to find out the root cause of a nagging problem?

• Identifying the problem was with the needle supplier
• Filing a Responsible Reporting Form, and working together to arrive at the solution
• Switching needle suppliers to improve care and safety

 What can your team do to listen to the voice of the patient? 

• Having lab assistants, not runners, pick up blood samples at 6 a.m. and drop off specimens every half-hour
• Using clinical lab scientists from other departments to help process blood in the morning
• Moving weekend shifts for clinical lab scientists to 6 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.

 What can your team do to shift its workflow for the benefit of patients? 

• Identifying which tests oncology patients actually need
• Creating and issuing a "golden ticket" to get patients to the front of the line
• Fast tracking the processing of labs before seeing the doctor

What can your team do to adjust your workflow in a way that puts the patient at the center?

• Discussing the problem and identifying the process to establish a chain of custody
• Creating a procedural map, highlighted with photos and standardized tasks
• Distributing laminated copies to appropriate areas of lab

What can your team do to analyze and improve your workflow?