EFFECTIVE STRATEGY TO GUIDE PATHOLOGY TEST ORDERING IN SURGICAL PATIENTS

Clinical and healthcare improvement through My Health Record usage and education in general practice (CHIME-GP): a study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

There is an international interest in whether improved primary care can lead to a more rational use of health resources. There is evidence that educational interventions can lead to improvements in the quality of rational prescribing and test ordering. A new national platform for shared medical records in Australia, My Health Record (MHR), poses new opportunities and challenges for system-wide implementation. This trial (CHIME-GP) will investigate whether components of a multifaceted education intervention in an Australian general practice setting on rational prescribing and investigation ordering leads to reductions in health-service utilisation and costs in the context of the use of a national digital health record system.

METHODS

The trial will be undertaken in Australian general practices. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of components of a web-based educational intervention for general practitioners, regarding rational use of medicines, pathology and imaging in the context of the use of the MHR system. Our target is to recruit 120 general practitioners from urban and regional regions across Australia. We will use a mixed methods approach incorporating a three-arm pragmatic cluster randomised parallel trial and a prospective qualitative inquiry. The effect of each education component in each arm will be assessed, using the other two arms as controls. The evaluation will synthesise the results embedding qualitative pre/post interviews in the quantitative results to investigate implementation of the intervention, clinical behaviour change and mechanisms such as attitudes, that may influence change. The primary outcome will be an economic analysis of the cost per 100 consultations of selected prescriptions, pathology and radiology test ordering in the 6 months following the intervention compared with 6 months prior to the intervention. Secondary outcome measures include the rates per 100 consultations of selected prescriptions, pathology and radiology test ordering 6 months pre- and post-intervention, and comparison of knowledge assessment tests pre- and post-intervention.

DISCUSSION

The trial will produce robust health economic analyses on the evidence on educational intervention in reducing unnecessary prescribing, pathology and imaging ordering, in the context of MHR. In addition, the study will contribute to the evidence-base concerning the implementation of interventions to improve the quality of care in primary care practice.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov ACTRN12620000010998 . Registered on 09 January 2020 with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry.

Importance of Routine Laboratory Investigations Before Elective Surgery

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

 Certain routine pre-operative laboratory investigations are performed in all patients before elective surgeries. We conducted this study to assess the value of routine pre-operative tests in the ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) Grade I and II adults undergoing elective surgery and their influence in the conduct of anaesthesia together with the costs incurred on unwarranted tests.

METHODS

A total of 1271 patients posted for elective surgery under anaesthesia were recruited. Each patient attended the Pre-Anaesthetic Checkup Clinic and underwent clinical evaluation and investigations according to institutional policy. Demographic data and other characteristics were recorded, along with the results of laboratory test, any peri-operative intervention done as a result of abnormality and the cost incurred on tests.

RESULTS

Majority of the patients belonged to ASA status I (74%) and underwent moderately invasive surgery (78%). The total number of routine investigations performed was 8015. Of these, 351 (4.37%) tests had abnormal results. Amongst these 333 (4.15%) abnormalities were suspected clinically and peri-operative intervention was only performed in 0.43% of patients. Anemia was the most common abnormal finding. Abnormal blood glucose was detected in 6 patients who were not clinically suspected. Abnormal electrocardiograph (ECG) was found in 54 patients. However, the intervention was required only in 13 patients. No intervention was required because of abnormal findings of the chest X-Ray. In total cost of investigations, only 6.9% was contributed by abnormal investigations and the rest was spent on the normal tests.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of tests with abnormal results was very low in our study, and less than 1% of the patients with abnormal tests required changes in their peri-anaesthetic management. No major complications were seen in any patient with normal or abnormal test results. Most of the expenses (93%) were related to the normal test, which did not contribute to the perioperative management, safety and outcome of the patient. Thus, pre-operative investigations should be judiciously advised to avoid inconvenience, surgical delays and escalation of the costs of surgical care.

"Too much information with little meaning," relevance of preoperative laboratory testing in elective oral and maxillofacial surgeries: A systematic integrative review

Aim:

In the recent times due to accessibility of tools and advent of technology advising battery of laboratory tests prior to any electeve surgical procedure has become a norm. This review aims at investigating relevance of such tests in healthy patients undergoing routine elective oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures.

Methods:

Various search engines were thoroughly searched to identify relevant literature. The population of interest was asymptomatic adults above 18 years of age undergoing elective surgery.

Results:

The preoperative tests of interest for the current study included complete blood count, coagulation tests, biochemistry, and chest X-rays. An algorithm for preoperative tests has been proposed.

Conclusion:

We conclude that advising battery of routine tests in such patients leads to further delays and rise in overall cost of the surgery.

Factors leading to overutilisation of hospital pathology testing: the junior doctor's perspective

Objective Pathology overutilisation is a significant issue affecting the quality and cost of health care. Because junior medical officers (JMOs) order most pathology tests in the hospital setting, the aim of the present study was to identify the main reasons for hospital pathology overutilisation from the perspective of the JMO. Methods A qualitative method, using focus group methodology, was undertaken. Sixteen JMOs from two hospitals participated in three focus groups. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Three major themes contributed to overutilisation: the real and perceived expectations of senior colleagues, the level of JMO clinical experience and strategies to manage JMO workload around clinical systems. Within these themes, 12 subthemes were identified. Conclusions Overutilisation of hospital pathology testing occurs when there are high social costs to JMOs for underordering, with little cost for overordering. Interventions should restore this balance through reframing overutilisation as both a costly and potentially harmful activity, promoting a supportive culture with regular senior guidance, and addressing clinical systems in which missed tests create an excessive workload. What is known about the topic? Mean overutilisation rates of pathology testing are reported to be as high as 44%. Although numerous studies have reported successful efforts to decrease hospital pathology overutilisation, no primary research was identified that examined the JMO perspective on this subject. What does this paper add? Clinical need is not the primary factor guiding the pathology-ordering decisions of junior practitioners; rather, medical team culture, limited JMO experience and systems factors have a significant role. What are the implications for practitioners? The social and behavioural determinants of pathology ordering must be considered to achieve appropriate pathology test utilisation. These include senior medical officer engagement, the guidance of JMOs and clinical workflows.

Preoperative laboratory testing - Comparison of National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines with current practice - An observational study

Background and Aims:

Preoperative laboratory testing is done to detect abnormalities in the body not detected by clinical examination. Often a battery of tests is advocated as a routine for patients scheduled for low or intermediate risk surgery. This prospective observational study was aimed to assess agreement of the current practice of preoperative laboratory investigations with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, and the impact of investigations on patient care and costs.

Material and Methods:

The study was conducted at a tertiary referral center on 385 patients aged 18-70 years of either gender, posted for elective general surgical, gynaecological or otolaryngological surgery. Sixteen investigations were examined: hemogram, blood urea, serum creatinine, serum electrolytes, coagulation profile, urinalysis, thyroid function tests, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests, blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobin, liver function tests, treadmill test and coronary angiogram. The history and physical examination were reviewed to examine for indication for these laboratory investigations. These were compared with NICE guidelines. Impact of these investigations on anesthetic decision-making was noted.

Results:

There was almost no agreement of the current practice with the NICE guidelines. The total cost of all tests obtained was Rs 5,48,755. Total additional cost of unindicated tests was Rs 5,10,730 (93%). Average amount spent on additional investigations per patient was Rs 1326.57.

Conclusion:

Most investigations are overprescribed and have minimal agreement with NICE guidelines. None of the tests had any impact on clinical care. Nearly a million rupees is incurred per year in one referral hospital alone, when NICE guidelines are not followed.

Effectiveness of Practices to Support Appropriate Laboratory Test Utilization: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of practices used to support appropriate clinical laboratory test utilization.

Methods

This review followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Laboratory Medicine Best Practices A6 cycle method. Eligible studies assessed one of the following practices for effect on outcomes relating to over- or underutilization: computerized provider order entry (CPOE), clinical decision support systems/tools (CDSS/CDST), education, feedback, test review, reflex testing, laboratory test utilization (LTU) teams, and any combination of these practices. Eligible outcomes included intermediate, systems outcomes (eg, number of tests ordered/performed and cost of tests), as well as patient-related outcomes (eg, length of hospital stay, readmission rates, morbidity, and mortality).

Results

Eighty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Fifty-one of these studies could be meta-analyzed. Strength of evidence ratings for each practice ranged from high to insufficient.

Conclusion

Practice recommendations are made for CPOE (specifically, modifications to existing CPOE), reflex testing, and combined practices. No recommendation for or against could be made for CDSS/CDST, education, feedback, test review, and LTU. Findings from this review serve to inform guidance for future studies.

The concordance of serial ANA tests in an Australian tertiary hospital pathology laboratory

The antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests are some of the more frequently requested tests for the diagnosis of autoimmunity. Although they are used primarily as diagnostic blood tests, multiple requests on the same patient continue to be encountered in the laboratory. This retrospective analysis of serial ANA testing at one pathology laboratory in Australia is the first study that examines the statistical concordance and possible implications of this on clinical practice. High-titred ANA have quite good repeatability for titre and pattern, and low-titred ANA, which can be non-specific, have poor repeatability. Staining patterns are, in general, almost random in nature on serial tests when compared to the first-obtained ANA pattern for each patient. This study confirms that there is little benefit in serial ANA testing, and only if there is a clear change in the patient's clinical picture would repeat of an initial low-titred ANA be useful. The findings reinforce the need for pathology stewardship to minimise costs, wasted resources and unnecessary referrals.

Routine preoperative blood testing in pediatric neurosurgery

OBJECT

The frequency with which routine preoperative blood test results predict perioperative or postoperative complications is insignificant. The unnecessary ordering of routine tests increases the financial costs and patients' distress. The authors evaluated the effects of routine preoperative testing on patient management and the overall financial costs.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records and laboratory data for 355 children admitted to the neurosurgical department for elective procedures over a 5-year period (January 2008-December 2012). They excluded all patients admitted for imaging or surgical procedures requiring local anesthesia, and they recorded the results of preoperative and previous (up to 6 months before surgery) blood tests and any abnormalities noted.

RESULTS

As a result of the 3489 blood tests ordered preoperatively for 328 (94.6%) of the 355 patients, 29 abnormalities (9%) were detected. Most of these abnormal values were near the reference range, and none significantly affected the progression of scheduled procedures. For only 1 patient (0.28%) was the procedure cancelled because of an abnormality (preoperative partial thromboplastin time), which further testing showed to be a false-positive result. The cost of these tests over 5 years was 5205-10,410 euros ($6766-$13,533 US).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative tests should be selectively requested on the basis of clinical indication.

Quality of pathology services: new strategic directions required

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges faced in Australia to maintain and sustain quality in pathology services, and present new strategic directions to address such challenges.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The paper is a review of the literature on pathology services and its quality of delivery and emerging issues.

FINDINGS

Major issues are emerging in pathology services which threaten to impact on the quality of future service delivery. These issues include workforce shortages, growth in inappropriate testing, advancing technology, rural and remote region servicing, and a negative image of the sector. New strategic directions are shown to be necessary in terms of workforce planning and addressing the escalation of new technology and innovation. In order to sustain quality of services, a significant change from current practice is recommended, with strong leadership as the change driver.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This paper highlights the potential impact of emerging issues on future pathology-service quality. Significant implications for service delivery and patient care quality are reviewed.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This paper provides valuable information on current strategic and planning issues impacting on pathology services. It provides new solutions from the perspective of leadership of health and health services.

Role of routine laboratory investigations in preoperative evaluation

Traditionally, routine investigations prior to surgery are considered an important element of preanesthetic evaluation to determine the fitness for anesthesia and surgery. During past few decades this practice has been a subject of close scrutiny due to low yield and high aggregate cost. Performing routine screening tests in patients who are otherwise healthy is invariably of little value in detecting diseases and in changing the anesthetic management or outcome. Thorough history and investigation of positive answers by the clinicians, combined with physical examination of patient represents the best method for screening diseases followed by few selective tests as guided by patient's health condition, invasiveness of planned surgery and potential for blood loss. A large number of investigations which are costly to pursue often detect minor abnormalities of no clinical relevance, may be risky to patients, cause unnecessary delay or cancellation of surgery, and increase medico-legal liability. An approach of selective testing reduces cost without sacrificing safety or quality of surgical care.

Preoperative blood tests in elective general surgery: cost and clinical implications

A retrospective observational study was performed in our trust in October 2010 that examined compliance, and the financial and clinical implications of performing inappropriate preoperative blood tests on adult patients prior to elective surgery, against the 2003 NICE guidelines. An unacceptable proportion of inappropriate tests (31.3%) were being performed. None were associated with adverse outcome or changes in management. Based on our results, we estimate that an extrapolated cost of pound 11.2 million is being spent on inappropriate blood tests in NHS England and Wales.