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CRITICAL VALUES

The laboratory, with approval from the medical board, has defined a list of critical tests and critical test results.

Laboratory employees call critical tests and critical values to the caregiver documented on the patient requisition, in the electronic patient registration system, or in the laboratory’s database.

In the event that the designated individual is not available, or one is not specified, laboratory staff report results to a caregiver in the unit or clinic where the patient is located or registered.

All notification is made immediately after the assay of the test meets assay criteria of acceptability. 

Note: The caregiver receiving the call must write down the information, read it back to the caller, and obtain confirmation of its accuracy (JC standard IM. 6.50).

If unable to contact an outpatient caregiver after hours, laboratory staff contacts one of the following:

  • requesting physician
  • attending physician
  • the physician in charge of the clinic listed
  • the Chief of the clinical service for the clinic listed
  • off-hours, refer to web On Call Schedule for the pager number for the resident on-call for the clinic
  • Hospital Manager pager

Critical tests and critical test results are not reported to answering machines or answering services. (The only exception is when a caregiver has made a written request to laboratory that has been approved by the medical director or lab manager.) Messages may be left on machines or with services for the caregiver to contact the lab immediately, but patient results will not be reported to machines or services.