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Blood Samples Rejection Report

Clients: Groote Schuur Hospital, National Health Laboratory Services, Western Cape Department of Health

Duration: 01/2013 - 03/2013

Phlebotomy in Action This phlebotomist draws blood for over 150 patients per day and stores them in a temperature-unregulated cardboard box.	Courier and Vehicle This courier took us through his route on three separate days to over 60 primary health care facilities.
Blood Centrifugation Blood samples are processed in a laboratory and a Department of Health representative explains the steps.	Laboratory Technician Lab techs register blood samples and label them with stickers.
Interviewing Phlebotomists Interviewing a phlebotomist revealed they occasionally use expired tubes knowingly.	Reasons for Specimen Rejection The top reasons for rejection are identified using a custom Excel keyword algorithm analysis. Reasons in orange are caused by phlebotomists. Out of respect for our client, the reasons are blurred.

Understand.

Laboratory technicians must 'reject' blood samples if they are improperly collected or transported. Interviewing phlebotomists, blood sample couriers, and laboratory technicians, observing blood collection, and analyzing rejection data elucidated the primary causes for rejection.

Blood Sample Data Flow Synthesized diagram indicating location, possession, point of origin, and exchange of test orders, test results, and blood samples.	Blood Sample Data Flow 2 These two methods illustrated how phlebotomists do not receive the test results to know if or why a sample was rejected.
Blood Transportation Storyboard An abbreviated blood transportation storyboard used to identify knowledge gaps in process and identify error-prone steps for phlebotomists, technicians, and couriers.

Create.

Creating storyboards and process flows provided a deeper understanding of the blood sample's journey. Presenting these to Hospital Laboratory Supervisors identified their sphere of influence for reducing rates of sample rejection.

2013 NU GHT Program The 2013 Northwestern University Global Healthcare Technologies Team worked on 3 separate biomedical engineering projects in Cape Town South Africa. Future GHT teams will pick up where this group left off.	Phlebotomist Feedback Loop Laboratory staff agreed that they should provide phlebotomists personalized data on their phlebotomy collection performance and agreed to do so.

Implement.

Hospital Laboratory staff agreed to independently implement the closed-loop feedback concept. The Northwestern Global Healthcare Technologies program received a 70+ page report detailing the interview and observation findings for future teams to pick up.

Blood Samples Rejection Report

Clients: Groote Schuur Hospital, National Health Laboratory Services, Western Cape Department of Health

Duration: 01/2013 - 03/2013

Phlebotomy in Action

This phlebotomist draws blood for over 150 patients per day and stores them in a temperature-unregulated cardboard box.

Courier and Vehicle

This courier took us through his route on three separate days to over 60 primary health care facilities.

Blood Centrifugation

Blood samples are processed in a laboratory and a Department of Health representative explains the steps.

Laboratory Technician

Lab techs register blood samples and label them with stickers.

Interviewing Phlebotomists

Interviewing a phlebotomist revealed they occasionally use expired tubes knowingly.

Reasons for Specimen Rejection

The top reasons for rejection are identified using a custom Excel keyword algorithm analysis. Reasons in orange are caused by phlebotomists. Out of respect for our client, the reasons are blurred.

Understand.

Blood Sample Data Flow

Synthesized diagram indicating location, possession, point of origin, and exchange of test orders, test results, and blood samples.

Blood Sample Data Flow 2

These two methods illustrated how phlebotomists do not receive the test results to know if or why a sample was rejected.

Blood Transportation Storyboard

An abbreviated blood transportation storyboard used to identify knowledge gaps in process and identify error-prone steps for phlebotomists, technicians, and couriers.

Create.

2013 NU GHT Program

The 2013 Northwestern University Global Healthcare Technologies Team worked on 3 separate biomedical engineering projects in Cape Town South Africa. Future GHT teams will pick up where this group left off.

Phlebotomist Feedback Loop

Laboratory staff agreed that they should provide phlebotomists personalized data on their phlebotomy collection performance and agreed to do so.

Implement.