Reducing unnecessary lab testing in acute care can avoid patient harm, improve fiscal efficiency, and reduce environmental waste. Using Labs Wisely is a national quality improvement collaborative of hospitals aimed at promoting lab stewardship across Canada. Centres participating in the collaborative develop, implement, and share interventions to reduce low-value lab testing. Evaluating a national program that deploys multiple interventions across care contexts and geographies is challenging.  Using Labs Wisely chose a multiple baseline interrupted time series analysis to identify the impact of interventions to reduce target tests AST, Urea, PTT. A total of 24 Canadian hospitals participated in the study, which looked at 1) changes in total inpatient testing in tests per 100 patient days, 2) cost savings associated with testing in Canadian Dollars (CAD), and 3) the environmental impact in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Join us on November 25 at 12 p.m. ET to learn more about the Using Labs Wisely interrupted time-series study. Hear from participating sites regarding which interventions were implemented to effectively reduce unnecessary lab testing, and join discussions about how the principles of the study can be applied in your local context.

Speakers:

• Dr. Thomas Bodley, MD MSc, Critical Care Physician, Scarborough Health Network, Clinical Co-Lead, Using Labs Wisely, Choosing Wisely Canada
• Sarah Porter, Information Consultant, Medical Staff, Island Health, Member, Island Health Choosing Wisely Oversight Committee
• Jacqueline Bourgeois, Island Health
• Sebastien Landry, Montfort Hospital