Authors (including presenting author) :
TSE SM(1), LUI LK(1), YAO PKJ(1), CHAN KH(1), LAI SW(1), WONG SK(1), Chiang LK(1), CHAN JBO(2), LEE HWH(2)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Family Medicine & Primary Healthcare, Kwong Wah Hospital (2) Information Technology Unit, Kwong Wah Hospital
Introduction :
Investigation screening is a vital part of daily clinical practice that requires precision and efficiency. At KWH GOPD, there are over 14000 lab results per year that must be processed. Lab results in physical paper form are manually sorted and distributed to doctors every day. After screening, the pile of results would have to be sorted by hand to determine those which needed further attention. The process is both labor intensive and prone to errors. Electronic lab screening helps to take away a lot of the manual work and significantly reduces human error.
Objectives :
To establish a user-friendly electronic lab result screening system for the doctor and nursing teams and streamline the workflow. To enhance the efficiency lab results handling. To build up a closed-loop communication.
Methodology :
The electronic platform was designed in 3Q 2022 by the IT unit. Preparatory meetings to kick start the project was started since 1Q 2024. The trial run of the electronic platform had been implemented in Mar 2024. Staff training was also provided in Feb 2024. The e-lab screening system was fully implemented on 2 Dec 2024.
Result & Outcome :
The transition to electronic lab screening was smooth thanks to the adequate preparation and training beforehand. Both the doctor and nursing teams gave positive feedbacks on the new enhancement. There are still certain investigation results that cannot be used by the system and require manual handling e.g., Holter reports and retinal photos etc. The system significantly decreases nursing man-hours required for managing lab results and reduces paper usage. It records doctors’ actions following screenings and shares this information with the nursing team, thereby enabling closed-loop communication. Additionally, the history feature facilitates tracking of previous follow-up actions, enhancing convenience and supporting clinical governance. The use of HA-issued iPads for the screening process further improves mobility and flexibility for doctors.
