Closed loop full process management and application of body fluid specimens in hospitalised patients

OBJECTIVE: To develop and implement a closed-loop full-process management system for body fluid specimens in hospitalised patients, with the aim of improving submission timeliness and specimen quality. METHODS: A multidisciplinary inpatient specimen management team was established to analyse the causes of inefficiencies in the collection-to-submission process of body fluid specimens. Based on these findings, targeted interventions were formulated and implemented in February 2025. The preanalytical turnaround times and unqualified specimen rate before and after implementation were compared. RESULTS: After implementing the closed-loop management system, the delayed submission rate of body fluid specimens decreased from 15.62% to 5.8% and the unqualified specimen rate decreased from 0.70% to 0.39%. The improvement in submission timeliness and specimen quality was statistically significant (p<0.05). All indicators showed significant differences at 3 and 6 months after intervention compared with before intervention (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The implementation of a closed-loop full-process management system for body fluid specimens effectively improved the timeliness of specimen submission, reduced delays and decreased the occurrence of unqualified specimens, thereby enhancing patient safety.