PPF55 Fast tracking blood samples to improve timely clinical decision making in a specialist palliative care unit

<h3>Background</h3> Blood tests may be required for diagnostic clarification and establishing reversible causes for symptoms in patients in a Specialist Palliative Care Unit e.g. infection, hypercalcaemia, renal dysfunction. Timely results ensure timely decision-making, hence improving patient care. In Northern Ireland Hospice, bloods are collected and analysed by the local Hospital Trust, a slow process as samples were considered as community rather than hospital bloods, potentially adversely affecting care by delaying diagnosis or treatment. <h3>Method</h3> A Quality Improvement Project (QIP) investigated the tardiness of receiving results, with the aim of reducing this time to facilitate timely decision making. The initial intervention included a daily call to the Trust laboratory for a ‘Name of the Day’ to be added to samples to allow fast tracking (PDSA cycle 1), followed by agreement with the Trust simply for a sticker saying ‘Priority processing- inpatient unit- urgent bench’ to be added to sample bags which would allow samples to be analysed as inpatient hospital bloods rather than community bloods (PDSA cycle 2). Data was collected weekly over a 3 month period, and then less frequently to ensure improvements were sustained. <h3>Results and Interventions</h3> Baseline data (May 2025) on samples sent via routine collection (Monday to Friday) showed the average time to result for Haematology was 4 hours 24 minutes and Biochemistry was 8 hours 8 minutes. Following PDSA 1 intervention, times improved to 3 hours 24 minutes for Haematology and 4 hours 33 minutes for Biochemistry . Following PDSA 2 intervention, times further improved to 2 hours 57 minutes for Haematology and 3 hours 17 minutes for Biochemistry. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This QIP has resulted in a simple sticker added to specimen bags highlighting samples to laboratory staff resulting in fast tracked blood samples with a reduction in time waiting for results, facilitating improved patient care.