Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36509108›Full record

ArticleApplied clinical informatics2023

Characterization of Laboratory Flow and Performance for Process Improvements via Application of Process Mining.

Eline R Tsai, Andrei N Tintu, Richard J Boucherie, Yolanda B de Rijke, Hans H M Schotman, Derya Demirtas

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied clinical informatics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

6 authors.

Eline R TsaiDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Andrei N TintuDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Richard J BoucherieCenter for Healthcare Operations Improvement and Research (CHOIR), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Yolanda B de RijkeDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Hans H M SchotmanDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Derya DemirtasCenter for Healthcare Operations Improvement and Research (CHOIR), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe rising level of laboratory automation provides an increasing number of logged events that can be used for the characterization of laboratory performance and process improvements. This abundance of data is often underutilized for improving laboratory efficiency.

objectivesThe first aim of this descriptive study is to provide a structured approach for transforming raw laboratory data to data that is suitable for process mining. The second aim is to describe a process mining approach for mapping and characterizing the sample flow in a clinical chemistry laboratory to identify areas for improvement in the testing process.

methodsData were extracted from instrument log files and the middleware between laboratory instruments and information technology infrastructure. Process mining was used for automated process discovery and analysis. Laboratory performance was quantified in terms of relevant key performance indicators (KPIs): turnaround time, timeliness, workload, work-in-process, and machine downtime.

resultsThe method was applied to two Dutch university hospital clinical chemistry laboratories. We identified areas where alternative routes might increase laboratory efficiency and observed the negative effects of machine downtime on laboratory performance. This encourages the laboratory to review sample routes in its analyzer lines, the routes of high priority samples during instrument downtime, as well as the preventive maintenance policy.

conclusionThis article provides the first application of process mining to event data from a medical diagnostic laboratory for automated process model discovery. Our study shows that process mining, with the use of relevant KPIs, provides valuable insights for laboratories that motivates the disclosure and increased utilization of laboratory event data, which in turn drive the analytical staff to intervene in the process to achieve the set performance goals. Our approach is vendor independent and widely applicable for all medical diagnostic laboratories.

Indexed as

Automation, LaboratoryLaboratoriesWorkflow

Identifiers

PMID36509108
PMCPMC9946784

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.