The effect of electronic ordering on pre-analytical errors in primary care

Background Pre-analytical variables are common across all laboratories and can negatively impact on patient care. The aim of this study was to review the impact of electronic requesting in Primary Care on the number of pre-analytical errors seen by the laboratory. Method Error data were reviewed during two six-month periods, pre- and post-implementation of Primary Care electronic requesting. The outcome measures related to: the correct information on the sample tube (patient name, unique patient ID number, date of collection); the correct sample received and the availability of a clinical history. Results There was a marked decrease in the number of pre-analytical errors following the introduction of electronic requesting (2764 pre-implementation vs. 498 post-implementation, P < 0.001). There was an improvement in the quality of information provided with each request in the forms of clinical history, date and time of sample collection. Conclusions The introduction of electronic requesting in Primary Care can reduce the number of pre-analytical errors and can improve the quality of information received with each request.