Effective communication of critical test results (CTR) is more than a Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal—it’s a requirement for quality healthcare.
Improve your hospital’s system of communication with Critical Test Results Troubleshooter: Practical Strategies and Tools for JCAHO Compliance.
Poor communication of critical test results is a leading cause of sentinel events. The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal #2 aims to improve reporting of critical test results. Many hospitals have implemented CTR systems, but continue to struggle with issues including:
- Definitions of critical test values
- Timely reporting of results
- Hand-offs
This handy book and CD-ROM set provides expert guidance on these issues, and answers some of your toughest CTR questions in an informative and easy-to-navigate format.
From an expert you can trust
Readers will benefit from field-tested tips and examples from author Gayla Jackson, who was instrumental in building an effective CTR communication system at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ms. Jackson has spent 20 years striving to improve communication of CTRs in her hospital, and knows first-hand what the challenges can be and how to overcome them. Her positive, down-to-earth style makes Critical Test Results Troubleshooter a compelling read, as well as an easy-to-use resource.
Relevant, real-world questions and answers
Critical Test Results Troubleshooter provides straightforward answers to questions like these:
- What should be on our hospital’s critical value list?
- Are all stat test results considered critical?
- Do we need to document read-back of test results?
- Who gets the results when the ordering physician can’t be reached?
- And much more!
In addition to the expert advice and guidance you’ll find on every page of the Critical Test Results Troubleshooter, you’ll also benefit from valuable forms and tools like these:
- Mount Auburn Hospital’s Laboratory, cardiology and radiology critical value lists
- Sample data collection and staff education tools
- Detailed CTR communication and read-back policies
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction
Gayla Jackson describes the event 20 years ago that spurred her hospital and lab to rethink their entire critical test reporting policy. - Why we need to do better
Having a policy in place isn’t enough: As Jackson discovered at her hospital, there is always room for improvement. - Elements of a workable policy
Learn what data you should gather to evaluate and fine-tune your existing CTR reporting system—with an eye to what the Joint Commission is looking for. - Three chapters of real-world questions and answers
Healthcare workers need to know: What’s really critical? What time frames does the Joint Commission expect us to monitor? Should we include EKG and Radiology results in our CTR policy? How does our CPOE system fit into our CTR policies? How often should we revise our list of critical tests and values? Critical Test Results Troubleshooter answers these questions and many more! - Case Study: Read-back
Three health care organizations describe what they require, and when
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
GAYLA J. JACKSON, RN, BSN, is a nurse manager at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. She was a member of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors’ Advisory Committee, and worked on the Coalition’s three-year effort to improve the reporting of critical test results, which was funded by a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The AHRQ provided funding to the Coalition, along with the Massachusetts Hospital Association, for the purpose of identifying, choosing, and implementing two new patient safety initiatives to minimize medical errors.
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