Communicating Critical Test Results

Source: Joint Commission Perspectives on Patient Safety, Volume 6, Number 1, January 2006, pp. 5-6(2)

 

Emphasizing National Patient Safety Goal 2C (to measure, assess and, if appropriate, take action to improve the timeliness of reporting, and the timeliness of receipt by the responsible licensed caregiver, of critical test values), this issue's Q & A features questions concerning standardizing lists of critical tests and results, defining time frames for reporting and acknowledging critical tests and results, monitoring communication of critical test results, and laboratory communication responsibilities.