BUILDING BLOCKS STATE CASE STUDY #4: Distinguishing Specimens Associated with Electronic Orders Upon Receipt to Facilitate Appropriate Accessioning

Wisconsin Newborn Screening Program

BACKGROUND

For the Wisconsin Newborn Screening program, specimens associated with electronic test ordering and results (ETOR) require a different accessioning workflow than others. In the typical workflow, the lab creates shell requisitions in the laboratory information system and the specimens are accessioned simultaneously in bulk. Conversely, in the ETOR workflow, the electronic orders create requisitions, and the specimens are subsequently accessioned individually once they are received.

PROBLEM

Specimens associated with electronic orders need to be distinguished upon receipt and excluded from the batch requisition creation/accession process. Failure to do so would create duplicate orders for the specimens, bypass the demographic information sent with the electronic orders and fail to return the results electronically.

SOLUTION

The Wisconsin NBS program worked with their contracted courier to provide differently colored specimen envelopes for the birthing hospitals participating in ETOR. In addition, we placed brightly colored stickers on the NBS cards themselves before shipping them to these birthing hospitals. Laboratory managers at each of the birthing hospitals ensured the proper envelopes and distinctly-labeled NBS cards were in stock prior to implementing ETOR. These two visual cues ensured specimens expected to be associated with an electronic order were identified upon receipt in the NBS lab and segregated prior to accessioning.