Workflow Management Processes to Improve Productivity

Author: A. Wayne Bruce, PhD, MS, MLS (ASCP)
Reviewer: Julie Ann West, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, SM(ASCP)CM and Judi Bennett, BSM, MLS(AMT), MLT(ASCP)
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Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours: 1 hour(s)

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE Credit Hours

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE - Supervision/Administration, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, and Safety: 1 hour(s)

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This course is a basic course on understanding and improving workflow in the clinical laboratory. General business principles of workflow are applied to the clinical laboratory. A case study is presented to demonstrate how a laboratory might want to streamline and improve its current workflow plan.

Objectives

  • Explain the meaning of workflow management.
  • Apply some of the industry principles of workflow management to the clinical laboratory.
  • Describe the streamlining process for improving the workflow path.
  • Construct a workflow plan.
  • Establish baseline metrics to measure the success of implementing a new workflow plan.
  • Describe a root cause analysis and how it is used to find the cause of problems in workflow in the clinical laboratory.
  • Describe the "Five Whys" technique that can be used in the root cause analysis process.
  • Utilize "fishbone" root cause analysis and the "Five Whys" to identify root causes and ways to improve workflow.
  • Utilize "fishbone" root cause analysis and the "Five Whys" to identify root causes and ways to improve workflow.
  • Utilize "fishbone" root cause analysis and the "Five Whys" to identify root causes and ways to improve workflow.

Course Outline

  • Introduction to Workflow Management
    • What is Workflow in the Clinical laboratory?
      • What Exactly is Workflow in the Clinical Laboratory?
    • Introduction to Workflow Management
      • Workflow Management and Streamlining
      • When Should the Laboratory Decide to Look Into Streamlining a Workflow Path?
      • Which of the following examples is not a good reason for looking into streamlining a workflow path?
      • Laboratory Path of Workflow and Workflow Plan
      • An aim of workflow management is to:
    • Why is Workflow Management Important?
      • Importance of Workflow Management
      • Which of the following is not an example of good workflow management?
      • True or False? One important reason to have a workflow management plan is to empower workers.
    • Phases of Workflow
      • Phases of Workflow in the Clinical Laboratory
      • True or False? The pre-examination phase is also known as preanalytical and refers to the recording and reporting of laboratory tests.
    • Creating a Workflow Plan
      • Leader Responsibilities
        • Leader Responsibilities
        • In the development of a workflow plan, leader responsibilities include which of the following?
      • Initial Workflow Planning Steps
        • Design of a Road Map for the Workflow Planning Process
        • True or False? One step in the initial design of a workflow management plan is to identify resources available to implement the plan.
      • Selecting the Team and Setting Guidelines
        • Selecting the Team
        • When selecting the workflow planning team and setting guidelines, the leader should:
      • Setting Baseline Metrics
        • Setting Baseline Metrics
        • Which of the following is not a useful metric in assessing a new workflow plan for improvement of the workflow process?
      • Team Planning Activities
        • Workflow Planning Team Activities
        • True or False?As part of the workflow team planning activities, it is best if the leader (usually the supervisor) initially does a walk-through of the whole process, with the regular staff walking through the specific workflow in order to gain feedback on what is not working.
        • Devising the Strategy for Solving the Problem
      • Root Cause Analysis Explained
        • What is Root Cause Analysis?
        • What is root cause analysis?
      • The "Five Whys" Strategy
        • The "Five Whys" Root Cause Analysis Strategy Explained
        • In the workflow problem example of the excessive chemistry repeats, the Five Whys technique was used. The workflow planning team asked:Why are there so many test repeats? Reason: QC is frequently out of the control range.Why is QC out of control frequently? Reason: The control range is very narrow.Why is the control range very narrow? Reason: Control data submitted each month only includes data wi
      • The Fishbone Analysis Root Cause Strategy
        • Fishbone Analysis Explained
        • A commonly used visualization tool for identifying and analyzing the root causes of a problem or inefficiencies may be called any of the following, except:
      • Case Study: Improving the Workflow Process in the Pre-examination Phase
        • Case Study: Improving Workflow in the Pre-examination Phase of Testing
        • Establishing Metrics
        • Root Cause Analysis Strategies for the Case Study
        • Test Selection and Ordering
        • Patient Identification
        • Collection of Samples
        • Handling of Sample Collected
        • Processing of Specimens
        • Final Preparation for Testing
        • Workflow Planning Team Recommended General Solutions
        • A great majority of lab errors are attributed to all of the following pre-examination (preanalytical) errors, except:
        • Referring to the case study, after doing the Five Whys stage for each collection of samples problem, the team determined that:
      • Summary
        • Improving Workflow Management in the Clinical Laboratory: Summary of Nine Ways to Enhance Workflow
      • References
        • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction: Basic
Intended Audience: Laboratory administration and management, including medical laboratory scientists and technicians. This course is also appropriate for medical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Author Information: A. Wayne Bruce, PhD, MS, BS, MLS(ASCP), HED Admin. Dr. Bruce has over 35 years of experience as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Laboratory Consultant, and Laboratory Director. He also served as director of the Clinical Laboratory Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Programs at the University of North Dakota for 25 years. He was on the planning team for the startup of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in Northern Ontario, serving as the Associate Dean for the Health Sciences and Continuing Medical Education. He has authored a book on quality assurance and a manual on financial management for the clinical laboratory. He has also served as a technical consultant to over 35 clinical laboratories during his career.
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.  
Reviewer Information: Dr. Julie Ann West is certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and as a Specialist in Microbiology (SM). In addition, Dr. West has earned a Ph.D. in Public Health - Epidemiology Specialization (emphasis on infectious disease) - and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Dr. West is experienced as a Technical Specialist, Safety Officer, Educator, and Lead in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System, and has prior experience as an Administrative Laboratory Director.
Judi Bennett, BSM, MLS(AMT), MLT(ASCP), is an Education Developer with MediaLab by Vastian, bringing over 30 years of experience as a medical laboratory scientist. Before joining MediaLab in 2010, she held key leadership roles, including Clinical Laboratory Manager, Microbiology Supervisor, and Senior Systems Analyst at Gwinnett Health System in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Her extensive knowledge of laboratory operations, combined with a strong commitment to healthcare quality and education, fuels her passion for developing engaging and effective learning tools for the next generation of laboratorians.
Course Description: This course focuses on understanding and improving workflow in the clinical laboratory. General business principles of workflow are applied to the clinical laboratory. A case study is presented to demonstrate how a laboratory might want to streamline and improve its current workflow plan.