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Define which test results are critical and how soon you must receive the result

Accreditation Connection, May 8, 2006

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) must comply with National Patient Safety Goal 2c which requires facilities 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 results and values."

But "practices might not put a well-designed system in place that addresses this particular aspect of care," according to Syed R. Ishaq, national director of the Accreditation & Consulting Division at Somnia, Inc., in New Rochelle, NY. "Critical tests results are very important, and sometimes ASCs overlook them."

To ensure that you meet this challenging goal, start by clarifying your tests. Define which test results are critical and how soon you must receive the results. Not all results require immediate attention or timely communication, so determine which tests do, says Ishaq.

"Come up with a chart [to classify test results] and create a list according to color coding," Ishaq says.

He suggests the following system, which uses red, orange, and yellow to classify results that warrant immediate communication:

• Red results are life-threatening emergencies that require urgent attention and immediately contacting the supervising physician
• Orange results are less life-threatening but require action as soon as possible, probably within a day's time or less
• Yellow results are not life-threatening and require action within a few days

Adapted from an article that appears in the May 2006 issue of Briefings on Ambulatory Accreditation.

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