Quality and Management

Good practices in Patient Safety

The clinical analysis laboratory is decisive in healthcare as the information it provides can condition the diagnosis, follow-up, prognosis and treatment of the patient. For this reason it is important to put in place measures to ensure that the processes are carried out with the maximum security guarantees. A good strategy to prevent incidents or adverse events is the application of "safe practices" such as correct patient identification, safe transfusion and effective communication.

ISO 14001

implementation at Catlab. Challenges and opportunities

The climate context in which we find ourselves makes the awareness of all parties to confront it increasingly relevant. Thus, in Catlab, since 2017, an Environmental Management system aligned with the sustainable development objectives began to be implemented, culminating in the ISO14001 Environmental Management certification. During this period, various actions have been carried out, such as the analysis of the carbon footprint and an improvement action plan, aiming at continuous improvement through the application of risk and opportunity matrices reviewed annually.

New Laboratory Information System(LIS) at Catlab.

The laboratory information system (LIS) has become a key element in all stages of an increasingly automated analytical process.

Thus, from the computer input of the request, application of algorithms, generation of reflex tests based on various variables to the final request sending to petitionary untis.

Due to requirement increase, Catlab has recently migrated to Modulab, a more powerful, robust and constantly developing LIS that provides Catlab with the necessary tools to meet the current analitycal demand.

FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis)

The UNE-EN ISO 15189: 2013 laboratory accreditation standard establishes for accredited laboratories the obligation to evaluate work systems in order to detect possible errors that may affect patient safety. The FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) methodology was used in Catlab. It is a simple but effective methodology that allows all personnel involved in the analytical process to be part of the procedure, thus facilitating not only the detection of potential errors but also the causes and preventive actions needed.

At Catlab, more than 100 potential errors have been detected and more than 78 corrective actions have been implemented to ensure patient safety and customer satisfaction.

QUALITY - Flexible scope accreditation

The UNE-EN ISO 15189: 2013 is an international standard that specifies the requirements regarding the competence and quality of clinical laboratories. The scope of each accreditation provides information on the activities in which the laboratory has demonstrated competence. A flexible scope allows new tests to be incorporated or modifications to be made at any time, for methods and analyzers that are already accredited. Catlab, one of the Laboratories with the highest percentage of accredited activity, has a flexible scope for most of its magnitudes.

QUALITY - Surveys for emergency physicians

Within the 2016-2018 Customer Satisfaction Measurement Plan, Catlab carried out surveys of the emergency physicians of HUMT, FHSJDM and CST. The results of the 9 consensual questions of the survey are exposed, on the perception and the evaluation that the laboratory professionals have, and the conclusions and improvement actions that have been started from the Laboratory.

MANAGEMENT - Catlab tenth anniversary

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Catlab, on June 7 a successful scientific conference was held in Catlab with the title "Genetics: from the laboratory to clinical practice". In this "Catlab Informa" we review the trajectory of our Laboratory in these 10 years, its current organization, and how it has been consolidated as one of the largest laboratories.

QUALITY - Customer satisfaction measure in Hospitals

During the years 2016-2017, in Catlab, surveys were carried out to the different Hospital assistance groups of HUMT, FHSJDM and CST. The 8 consensual questions of the survey are related on the perception and the evaluation that the professionals of the Hospitals of the laboratory have.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS - Lab Support Programs

Catlab has different computer support applications for the laboratory. The objective is to automate processes that were done manually or in paper, to manage them with greater speed and security, and to facilitate the accreditation of the laboratory. Some of these applications are the Catlab Incidence Program (PIC), which manages everything related to the pre-analytical incidents of Catlab, the GIN (Integral Management of Refrigerators), which is responsible to register and control the transport time of the refrigerators of the samples, or the GestLab, which manages different aspects of the data and needs of the workers.

QUALITY - Customer satisfaction measure

During the years 2012-2015, Catlab has made a plan for measuring customer satisfaction; surveys have been conducted to different groups of primary care CST, HUMT and ICS. Here are the results of 8 consensual questions related to perception and assessment of the laboratory.