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The Journal of the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology |
Biblioraphy Information
| ArticleTitle |
Evaluation of the usefulness of turnaround time (TAT) monitoring as a quality assessment indicator in clinical microbiology testing |
| Language |
J |
| AuthorList |
Asami Nakayama1,2), Mikiko Chiba2), Keita Hoshi2), Maho Ishidoya2), Atsuko Sato2), Yuhei Osugi2), Hiroko Kimura2), Katsuyuki Sasaki2), Makoto Katsumi2), Shingo Sugawara2), Tetsuji Aoyagi1,3) |
| Affiliation |
1) Department of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine
2) Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tohoku University Hospital
3) Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine |
| Publication |
J.J.C.M.: 36 (1), 25-30, 2025 |
| Received |
May 30, 2025 |
| Accepted |
September 2, 2025 |
| Abstract |
We evaluated the usefulness of monitoring turnaround time (TAT) from sample reception to result reporting as a quality assessment indicator in clinical microbiology testing. This study included samples submitted between April 2021 and March 2024. The study period was divided into the first half (April-September) and the second half (October-March) of each fiscal year. We assessed the average TAT, automatically calculated by the laboratory information system, for general bacterial and acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear microscopy and culture tests. During the study period, restructuring of the laboratory workflow and operational changes were implemented. For smear microscopy (excluding cerebrospinal fluid), TAT for all specimen types was reduced by more than 2 hours from the first to the second half of 2021. Culture tests also demonstrated a reduction in TAT, and a similar improvement was observed for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus positive cultures following the operational changes. In AFB testing, the average TAT for smear microscopy was 17 hours. For culture tests, the TAT in the second half of 2023 was reduced by 6 days compared to the first half of 2021. These results suggest that regular measurement and monitoring of TAT can provide an objective assessment of laboratory workflow and the impact of operational improvements, supporting its utility as a quality indicator in clinical microbiology testing. |
| Keywords |
Turnaround time, Diagnostic Stewardship |
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