Using Labs Wisely

This portal is intended for participating hospitals to learn about program updates, useful resources, and ways to interact with others in the Using Labs Wisely program.

Key Dates and Timing: 

2024:

• Tuesday, May 7th, 2-3:30pm EST
• Tuesday, June 11th: 2-3:30pm EST
• Tuesday, September 24th: 2-3:30pm EST
• PRESENTATIONS: Tuesday, November 5th: 2-3:30pm EST
• Tuesday, December 10th: 2-3:30pm EST

Participating hospitals should have the following documents completed throughout the program:

• FOR SIGNATURE: Using Labs Wisely-Terms of Participation
• FOR SUBMISSION: Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) Template
• FOR SUBMISSION: Intervention Checklist
• FOR SUBMISSION: Data Submission Instructions and Data Dictionary
  • OPTIONAL: Data Submission Template

Deliverable Reminders 

Next data submission is due May 15, 2024. Please reach out to Gillian or GEMINI for any data specific questions (gemini.cwc@unityhealth.to)

Check out relevant tools and resources that can support your quality improvement efforts in the Using Labs Wisely program:

Check out the recordings below featuring past Using Labs Wisely learning collaborative sessions. 

Using Lab Wisely: Orientation

Lab Target Considerations and Example:

This video on lab target considerations provides a framework for selecting a lab target that your site may want to focus on. Please see the corresponding PowerPoint for the specific framework and the example for a real application to lab target selection.

QI Diagnostics and Stakeholder Engagement:

This video on QI diagnostics provides a review of three common QI tools used to diagnose the problem to target: process mapping, cause-and-effect analysis, and the Pareto diagram.  Please see the corresponding PowerPoint for more information and relevant resources to support the use of these tools. stakeholder engagement provides a review of the hierarchy of effectiveness for different types of QI intervention as well as a framework for stakeholder engagement.  Please see the corresponding PowerPoint to learn more as well as the relevant resources to carry out stakeholder mapping for your project.

Relevant Resources:                                          Relevant Resources:
Pareto Chart Template.                                      Stakeholder Engagement
Cause and Effect Analysis Handout

Lab Change Ideas: 

This video on lab change ideas covers the family of measures and highlights its linkage to lab interventions.  It also explores some different types of lab interventions (e.g., education initiatives, ordering initiatives), and where it is situated on the hierarchy of effectiveness. Please see the corresponding PowerPoint to learn more.

Baseline Data: 

This video on baseline data demonstrates how data can help further inform lab target selection lab change ideas as well as highlights some successful changes implemented and the need for ongoing data to be part of change strategy.  Please see the corresponding PowerPoint to learn more.

ARCHIVE OF LIVE RECORDINGS OF ULW WEBINAR SESSIONS:

Using Lab Wisely Session 2: October 17, 2022

Using Lab Wisely Session 3: November 14, 2022

Using Lab Wisely Session 4: December 12, 2022

Using Lab Wisely Session 5: January 16 

Using Lab Wisely Session 6: February 13 

Using Lab Wisely Session 7: May 15 

Using Lab Wisely Session 8: Sept 11

Using Lab Wisely- One-year updates Group 1: 

IWK Health: Folate testing

Trillium Health: Osmo and Toxic Alcohol utilization

Cite de la Sante: Vitamin B12 and FOB testing

Unity Health: AST utilization reflex approach

Using Lab Wisely: One-year updates Group 2:

Niagara Health: Serum pregnancy testing

CHU de Quebec: appropriateness of the submission of surgical specimens to the anatomic pathology lab 

NYGH: Reduction of Urine microscoping testing

Using Lab Wisely: One-year updates Group 3:

RVH and GBGH: Free T4

Brant Community Hospital: Urea/Creatinine

Halton: Vitamin D, ESR, Protein Electrophoresis

Using Lab Wisely: December 4, 2023 

Using Lab Wisely: February 13, 2024