Hospital Turnaround Time Management: An Efficiency Improvement Project

This project investigates hospital turnaround time (TAT) management, focusing on efficiency improvements within healthcare settings. The project begins with a background and literature review, emphasizing the significance of TAT as a key performance indicator and identifying gaps in current practices, particularly concerning laboratory TAT and patient waiting times. It proposes a project to enhance TAT using the FOCUS PDCA methodology, targeting emergency ward clients. The research outlines specific aims and objectives, including identifying the impact of TAT on hospital efficiency and earnings, establishing methods to lower TAT, and classifying TAT parameters across pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases. The methodology involves a detailed Focus PDCA approach with data collection from both primary and secondary sources, including questionnaires and health journals. The project anticipates improved service quality, reduced treatment delays, and offers a future scope to expand research to other phases. Data analysis will involve statistical methods like regression analysis and frequency table analysis, utilizing software like Excel. The expected outcome is a more efficient hospital environment with improved patient satisfaction, though limitations include potential costs.

Running head: HOSPITAL TURNAROUND TIME MANAGEMENT
Hospital Turnaround Time Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
Background and Literature Review.................................................................................................2
Significance of the Project...........................................................................................................2
Identification of Gaps..................................................................................................................3
Proposed Project..........................................................................................................................3
Aim and Objective of the Research.................................................................................................3
Project Approach and Methodology................................................................................................4
Improvement Approach...............................................................................................................4
Focus PDCA................................................................................................................................4
Data Size and Population.............................................................................................................6
Future Scope....................................................................................................................................6
Expected Outcomes, Limitations and Anticipation.....................................................................6
Data Analysis...................................................................................................................................7
Reference.........................................................................................................................................7

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Background and Literature Review
The main purpose of this assessment is to analyze the problems which is by hospitals in
terms of turnaround time period. The turnaround time for a hospital is considered to be an
important indicator for hospitals which can be taken as a measure for overall efficiency of the
business. The assessment aims to research how the turnover time period can be improved for a
hospital. The assessment would be considering the Laboratory turnaround time as a benchmark
for analyzing the performance of a hospital.
Significance of the Project
As per Goswami (2010), the concept of turnaround time (TAT) is common indicator for
measuring the efficiency of the hospital or laboratory. TAT is constantly used by the
management to monitor the quality of services which is provided and ensure that the overall
efficiency level is appropriate in a business. The quality of the service which is provided is
considered to be important in case of services which are offered by hospitals and laboratories.
Therefore, on the basis of these facts, a gap has always been noticed in maintaining the TAT for
patients in hospitals as they have to wait for receiving treatments (Verywell Health. 2019). It can
be argued even that the time interval is too long and this shows lack of efficiency in the service
structure.
Identification of Gaps
The activities which can be classified under TAT are done on the basis of test conducted,
priority and population served on an urgent basis. At the moment, the results in case of
population which is served on a priority basis is not great in terms of the research which is
available. Therefore, the research aims to highlight the importance of TAT in a hospital for better

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services and also find out solution how hospitals can make improvements in the TAT for better
consumer experience (Xu et al. 2013). There are various phases which are generally responsible
for the delays and the phases are pre-analytical phases, analytical phase and post analytical
phases. There are certain measures which can be adopted for the purpose of reducing the TAT of
a laboratory and thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the service which is being provided
by the business.
Proposed Project
The research would be identifying methods which can be used by business for the
purpose of reducing TAT and thereby enhancing the quality of services which is offered by the
business. The steps start advancement in analytical technology, transport systems and
computerization which are a main reason due to which laboratories and hospitals lag in
effectively serving the patients (Goswami et al. 2010). The proposed project would be inhabiting
accuracy, phlebotomy courtesy toward patients and better-quality nursing staff who can take care
of the needs of the patients. In the discussion process, estimates and cases would be used for
better presentation of information.
Aim and Objective of the Research
The aim of the research paper is to understand the importance of TAT in a laboratory and
hospital business and how management of the same can lead to improvement in the efficiency of
the business. The business also recognizes with improvement in TAT, the business would also be
able to serve more customers in a lower time frame and cause less hassle for the patients
(Ntshambiwa et al. 2014). The objectives of the research are listed below in details:

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 One of the objective of this research is to identify the importance of TAT and how the same
affect the overall efficiency of a business and contribute to the earnings of the business.
 The research aims to establishes methods which can be applied by the management of
hospitals and laboratories for the purpose of ensuring that the TAT of the business is
lowered further for both the sake of the business and also the clients (Pati and Singh 2014).
 Another main objective of the research is to identify the different parameters of TAT from a
hospital and classify the same as pre-analytical phases, analytical phase and post analytical
phases. In addition to this, the delay time period is also to be recognized for each of the
phase
Project Approach and Methodology
Improvement Approach
The Research paper would be using the approach of Focus PCDA for conducting the
research. The Focus PDCA is an approach which is commonly used in hospital for the purpose
of finding out new ways for improving the processes of the hospitals. The assessment considers
the TAT for patients of the hospital (Krasowski et al. 2015). The target population which is
considered for the assessment are emergency ward clients who are in need of fast services.
Focus PDCA
The assessment would be involving the following steps which deals with the approach of
Focus PDCA and the steps for the same are listed below:
 Find the Process to Improve: The process which needs to be improved in a hospital is
the customer services and the service quality offered to the clients (Tabak et al. 2018).

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This even includes general consultant services from doctors and various reports of
clients.
 Organize a Team which Knows the Process: The management of the hospital needs to
organize a team of individuals who can effectively deals with the needs of the patients
and guide them appropriately to the doctors or even to lab experts..
 Clarify Current Knowledge of the Process: The current knowledge of the process can
be achieved from the hospital which is considered and the same can be efficiently be
presented in the forms of presentation, charts and flowcharts.
 Understand the Process: The next step to effectively understand the process which is
followed in the hospital and also identify the gaps in the process and how the same can be
improved.
 Selection what aspect is to be Improve: The aspect where improvement is necessary is
the delay in treatment and the quality of treatment which is offered by the hospitals
 Plan: The plan is to set up a unit of individuals who can take care of patients while the
doctors are attending to other patients and such individuals can also guide patients to
appropriate doctors as per the problems faced by the client.
 Do: The program would be implemented within a fixed time period in order to ensure
that TAT of the business can be improved.
 Checks: The management needs to conduct regular checks into the program which is
implemented to get results on regular basis.
 Act: In this step, if the new program produces successful results that the program would
continue from management and if the same are not unfavorable then the cycle can be
repeated again.

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Data Size and Population
The data is mainly collected from secondary source and also from primary sources with
the help of questionnaire. The target population are the patients of hospitals and the same
includes even patients who are therefore consulting services, checkups, testing reports from lab
or any other purpose. The data would mostly be collected from secondary sources and health
journals.
Future Scope
This research is conducted mainly considering the TAT for emergency department
patients but the scope of research can be widened significantly. There are other phases where the
TAT is also high and research can be conducted based on such areas. In addition to this, the
importance of TAT in hospital and laboratories can be further researched.
Expected Outcomes, Limitations and Anticipation
The research is conducted with a view point of improving the quality of services and also
the delay time in providing treatment to the patients. The initial response of the research suggest
that the proposed project and effective management control would enable the hospital to
positively handle the situation and respond accordingly. The only limitation is that the process
would be costly from business point of view and therefore might discourage the approach.
Data Analysis
The data which is collected is from both primary and secondary sources can be analyzed
using statistical methods such as regression analysis, frequency table analysis which would be
conducted after appropriate sample are considered on whom the research is to be conducted and
the data for such sample are collected accordingly. The data which is collected from different

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sources are then analyzed by on the basis of excel software and using statistical tools for
effectively presentation of the data and analyzing the same.
Reference
Goswami, B., Singh, B., Chawla, R., Gupta, V. and Mallika, V. 2010. Turn Around Time (TAT)
as a Benchmark of Laboratory Performance. Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, 25(4),
pp.376-379.
Hawkins, R. 2007. Laboratory Turnaround Time. The Clinical Biochemist Reviews, [online]
28(4), p.179. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2282400/ [Accessed
3 Jan. 2019].
Krasowski, M.D., Chudzik, D., Dolezal, A., Steussy, B., Gailey, M.P., Koch, B., Kilborn, S.B.,
Darbro, B.W., Rysgaard, C.D. and Klesney-Tait, J.A., 2015. Promoting improved utilization of
laboratory testing through changes in an electronic medical record: experience at an academic
medical center. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 15(1), p.11.
Ntshambiwa, K., Ntabe-Jagwer, W., Kefilwe, C., Samuel, F. and Moyo, S., 2014. Translating a
National Laboratory Strategic Plan into action through SLMTA in a district hospital laboratory
in Botswana. African journal of laboratory medicine, 3(2).
Pati, H.P. and Singh, G., 2014. Turnaround time (TAT): difference in concept for laboratory and
clinician. Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, 30(2), pp.81-84.

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Tabak, Y., Vankeepuram, L., Ye, G., Jeffers, K., Gupta, V. and Murray, P. (2018). Blood Culture
Turnaround Time in U.S. Acute Care Hospitals and Implications for Laboratory Process
Optimization. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 56(12).
Verywell Health. 2019. How to Improve Healthcare Quality With FOCUS PDCA. [online]
Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/focus-pdca-in-healthcare-2318198 [Accessed 3
Jan. 2019].
Xu, M., Qin, X., Astion, M.L., Rutledge, J.C., Simpson, J., Jerome, K.R., Englund, J.A., Zerr,
D.M., Migita, R.T., Rich, S. and Childs, J.C., 2013. Implementation of filmarray respiratory viral
panel in a core laboratory improves testing turnaround time and patient care. American journal
of clinical pathology, 139(1), pp.118-123.