Status of Pre-analytical Quality Management of Laboratory Tests at Primary Clinics in Korea

• Published in: Annals of laboratory medicine Vol. 43; no. 5; pp. 493 - 502
• Main Authors: Chang, Jeonghyun, Lim, Jinsook, Chung, Jae-Woo, Sohn, Yong-Hak, Jang, Min Joong, Kim, Sollip
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine 01-09-2023; 대한진단검사의학회
• Subjects: Humans; Laboratories; Original; Republic of Korea; 병리학; Republic of Korea; Survey; Pre-analytical phase; Laboratory medicine; Primary care; Quality management
• ISSN: 2234-3806; 2234-3814
• DOI: 10.3343/alm.2023.43.5.493

The quality of laboratory test results is crucial for accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment. Pre-analytical errors account for approximately 60%-70% of all laboratory test errors. Laboratory test results may be largely impacted by pre-analytical phase management. However, primary care clinics currently do not have pre-analytical quality management audit systems. We aimed to understand the current status of pre-analytical quality management in laboratory medicine in Korean primary care clinics.
Questionnaires were designed to focus on essential components of the pre-analytical process of primary care clinics. An online survey platform was used to administer the survey to internal medicine or family medicine physicians in primary care clinics.
A total of 141 physicians provided a complete response to the questionnaire. In 65.2% of the clinics, patient information was hand-labeled rather than barcoded on the specimen bottles; 14.2% of clinics displayed only one piece of patient information (name or identification number), and 19.9% of clinics displayed two pieces of information. Centrifuges were not available in 29.1% of the clinics. Institutions carrying out the National Health Screening Program (NHSP) used more barcode system and had more centrifuges than institutions that did not carrying out the NHSP.
Pre-analytical quality management is inadequate in many primary clinics. We suggest implementation of a mandatory management system, allowing for a pre-analytical quality management to be carried out in primary care clinics.