Analyzing stat turnaround times (tat) newton insight

Watch your TAT. Deliver Superior Performance.

Gerard Ibarra, PhD 1

Abstract

This presentation is about using metrics and analytics to recognize trends about the performance of your operations and medical courier companies. Draw on them to increase efficiencies, reduce risk, lower costs, and improve service.

© 2012 Newton Insight Corporation 2

Terms and Definitions

Turnaround Times (TAT) means the amount of time it takes from when an order was placed with a medical courier company to the time they delivered it. For the purpose of this presentation, it does not include accessioning or completing the test of the specimen.

Stat implies urgent. It is short for statim, the Latin word for immediately.

3 © 2012 Newton Insight Corporation

Terms and Definitions

Reliability means the chances of delivering the order on time under normal conditions.

4 © 2012 Newton Insight Corporation

Typical Process of a Stat Order


Late Stat deliveries can affect your organization in many ways.


Impact of Late Stat Deliveries

• Time:

~ Communicating constantly with medical courier company about the condition of the late Stat

~ Communicating constantly with the lab department about moving the late Stat from the back of the test line to the front to avoid compromising the specimen

~ Filling out reports describing why there was a late Stat and how to prevent it from occurring again

~ Having to spend time dealing with the clients



• Risk:

~ Compromising the integrity of the specimen due to its limited life span

~ Losing a client because a specimen was damaged

~ Facing possible lawsuits due to perceived negligence



• Cost:

~ Incurring charges from the client to collect the specimen again

~ Losing revenue due to a lost client

~ Spending time dealing with the late Stat deliveries instead of growing the business

~ Dealing with having to pay lawyer fees and settlements



• Service:

~ Trying to make amends with upset clients

~ Having to explain to clients why they are having problems making deliveries on time

~ Making it more difficult to market and sell the services of the lab


So what do you do?


Solution

Collect and compile Stat TATs from your medical courier companies

Analyze the TAT

• Stay away from using averages alone to tell the whole story

• Include limits in your analysis to get a better understanding of trends


Minimum Insight


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Combined Courier Stat Turnaround Times: March through April

Max Avg STAT TAT

120 Maximum Minutes Allowed for TAT 108 Average TAT Minutes

for the Previous Month

Minimum Insight

The graph shows for the most part the medical courier companies doing there job

• Below the maximum allowed time 561 out of 586 times or a 95.7% reliability rating – need to address those that went over the allowed time


Minimum Insight

• Below the average TAT for the previous month 515 out of 586 times or a 87.9% reliability rating – this appears that the medical courier companies are doing good since they are more times than not below the TAT average from the previous month


Minimum Insight

Except for the reliability of the medical courier companies’ deliveries, the graph does not provide much more information. It also might give some false impression about how well the couriers are doing.


Deeper Insight


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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Avg Daily Stat Turnaround Times: March through April

Max Avg Avg Daily

Deeper Insight


The diagonal dash line pointing upward indicates the medical courier companies are making the deliveries later and later that is a bad trend. Questions to ask:

• Are the medical courier companies getting more Stat orders?

• Is there some significant road construction that interferes with getting to the delivery location?

Deeper Insight

• Did one of the medical courier companies make a significant change to their operations?

• Are the delivery times now being recorded more accurately? This could be due to the purchase of a new transportation system that allows you to capture the delivery times of your medical courier companies instead of them capturing the delivery times for you.


Deeper Insight


The shaded box on the graph shows the TAT were beginning to trend upward in March. Knowing this type of information as early as possible is important to anticipate and prevent the TAT from getting out of hand. Things to do and questions to ask:

• Bring to the attention of the medical courier companies that they are starting to trend upward in their Stat delivery times.

Deeper Insight


• Review the type of Stats the medical courier companies are receiving and determine if there is anything out of the ordinary. This includes items such as the time the order was placed, the distance of the pickup, and the number of orders placed at the same time.

• Why was there a significant drop-off in Stat delivery times from the previous month?

Deeper Insight

The dash circles show the TAT are significantly below the average TAT of the previous month. This skews the averages when aggregated. Questions to ask:

• Did the medical courier companies receive less Stats orders for those days?


Deeper Insight

• Did the medical courier companies get most of their pickup orders close to the delivery point?

• Were the medical courier companies properly staffed on those days?

• Were the medical courier companies talked to about the escalating Stat delivery times that caused them to focus on the TATs the next day?


Conclusion

Analyzing the TAT and recognizing trends gives you the opportunity to address situations before they become problems. The process allows you to:

• Increase efficiencies by not wasting time on unexpected events

• Lower the risk of damaging specimens

• Reduce costs from repeating tests

• Improve customer service by reducing mistakes


Contact Information

www.newtoninsight.com [email protected]


http://www.newtoninsight.com/

mailto:[email protected]

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