An Audit of Laboratory Requisition Forms for Coagulation Tests in the Hematology Laboratory of a Tertiary Care Center

Abstract Background: The accuracy and precision of laboratory results are crucial for clinicians. “A large percentage of clinical decisions, including diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy, rely on laboratory data.” Preanalytic, analytic, and postanalytical factors have a significant impact on the quality of laboratory results. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to examine the LRFs’ demographic, clinical, and clinician data for completeness and to understand why certain aspects of data were missing. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the Haematology Lab of the Department of Pathology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, for 1 month. All the original LRFs received for coagulation tests were examined for completeness. The information mentioned on LRFs was subcategorized under the three main headings: (1) patient data, (2) clinical data, and (3) clinician data. Patient data included parameters such as name, age, CR number, and sex. Clinical data included the patient’s history, examination findings, clinical diagnosis, and therapy details. Clinician data included the treating consultant’s name, department, and unit information, along with the name, signature, and contact number of the doctor who is filling out the form. Results: A total of 1107 LRFs of coagulation tests were audited. None of the forms had all the required information.Referring clinician’s department and unit were documented on 99.8% and 99.8% of the forms respectively. However, the clinician’s name was missing on 99.8% of the forms. Junior doctor’s signature was present on 94.1% of the forms,The age and the sex of the patients were present in 98.9% and 99.9% of the forms, respectively. Conclusion: Receiving incompletely filled LRFs has long been a source of concern in all medical laboratories. This audit helped in assessing the prevailing practices in the hospital and gave an insight into the quality of information available to the hematologists for reporting.