Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21609424›Full record

SynthesisBMC medical informatics and decision making2011

Mapping turnaround times (TAT) to a generic timeline: a systematic review of TAT definitions in clinical domains.

Bernhard Breil, Fleur Fritz, Volker Thiemann, Martin Dugas

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Dutch guideline on the laboratory detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2014
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  18. Laboratory Turnaround Time of Surgical Biopsies at a Histopathology Service in Nigeria.Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association
    Article
  19. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Bernhard BreilInstitute of Medical Informatics, University of Münster, Domagkstraße 9, 48149 Münster, Germany. bernhard.breil@ukmuenster.de
Fleur Fritz
Volker Thiemann
Martin Dugas

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAssessing turnaround times can help to analyse workflows in hospital information systems. This paper presents a systematic review of literature concerning different turnaround time definitions. Our objectives were to collect relevant literature with respect to this kind of process times in hospitals and their respective domains. We then analysed the existing definitions and summarised them in an appropriate format.

methodsOur search strategy was based on Pubmed queries and manual reviews of the bibliographies of retrieved articles. Studies were included if precise definitions of turnaround times were available. A generic timeline was designed through a consensus process to provide an overview of these definitions.

resultsMore than 1000 articles were analysed and resulted in 122 papers. Of those, 162 turnaround time definitions in different clinical domains were identified. Starting and end points vary between these domains. To illustrate those turnaround time definitions, a generic timeline was constructed using preferred terms derived from the identified definitions. The consensus process resulted in the following 15 terms: admission, order, biopsy/examination, receipt of specimen in laboratory, procedure completion, interpretation, dictation, transcription, verification, report available, delivery, physician views report, treatment, discharge and discharge letter sent. Based on this analysis, several standard terms for turnaround time definitions are proposed.

conclusionUsing turnaround times to benchmark clinical workflows is still difficult, because even within the same clinical domain many different definitions exist. Mapping of turnaround time definitions to a generic timeline is feasible.

Indexed as

Hospital Information SystemsWorkflowClinical Laboratory TechniquesHospital AdministrationHumansTime Factors

Identifiers

PMID21609424
PMCPMC3125312

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.