Measure Phase

Data Collection:

Our team met to decide on what relevant data we needed to collect and how it needed to be collected.We found brainstorming to be a very useful tool for this. It allowed us to  extensively examine all the area's of this project where cost saving and efficiencies could be achieved. We agreed that the following data types were required.

• Current Processing time within the Histology department where Medical Scientists could fill in the following quick time sheet.

 

 This will allow us to not only estimate a baseline processing time but also very importantly help us estimate a baseline cost of a Medical Scientist processing the current manual method. We asked Medical Scientists if they would be willing to fill in this time sheet and they were very agreeable, as if would not take much time to complete daily. To date the following chart represents current processing times.

                                                                                                                              

• Reduction in Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Test on completion of project .      

Historically within the Histology Department  ANA's are performed on every Thyroid Antibody request. Following discussion with Head of the Histology Department, it appears that this is unnecessary and was only originally done to make the requesting of tests easier for worksheets. The following Pie Chart estimates that if 15% of the total number of requests from clinicians that is covered in the scope of project relates to Anti Thyroid Antibodies then, therefore there will be 15% ANA's performed annually.

This Pie chart also shows the percentage of Auto immune Antibody screens requested. Currently this screen includes Thyroid Antibodies also but it is proposed this will no longer be the case and that Thyroid Antibodies will have to be specifically requested following the move to Biochemistry.

• Data Base Query was set up with the help of  IT to cross link patient that would have had one serum tube sent to Biochemistry for routine tests and one sent to Histology for Thyroid Antibodies. This Data Base Query is to be fed into excel and analysed. So far this process is  proving  to be time consuming.

Our Project is on schedule  and we are very hopeful that we can make significant savings for the Pathology department.