PHU Survey - Current
Lab Process
Monday, October 04, 2021
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22
Total Responses
Date Created: Friday, September 10, 2021
Complete Responses: 22
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Q1: Please select from one of the two options:
Answered: 22
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Skipped: 0
Q2: Which scenarios accurately describe the specimen collection
process? Select all that apply:
Answered: 19
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Skipped: 3
Q3: How does your PHU communicate/follow-up with hospital labs,
private labs or PHOL? Select all that apply:
Answered: 19
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Skipped: 3
Q4: Have you observed any inconsistencies in the information
provided/collected on requisition forms from different laboratories?
Select all that apply:
Answered: 19
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Skipped: 3
Q5: In which of the following situations might your PHU be notified of a
case prior to receiving a lab result? Select all that apply:
Answered: 19
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Skipped: 3
Q6: What determines whether a sample goes to a lab for preliminary
testing vs. further differentiation/final testing? Select all that apply:
Answered: 17
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Skipped: 5
Q7: Do you have a public health clinic where most of your labs are
tested?
Answered: 17
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Skipped: 5
Q8: What triggers the need to obtain negative test results from
laboratories? Select all that apply:
Answered: 17
Skipped: 5
Other, specify: Antibiotic resistance, isolations decisions, management of enteric food
borne outbreak
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Q9: Are selected negative lab results notified to your PHU differently
compared to positive results?
Answered: 17
Skipped: 5
Yes, please specify:
Usually received by request, contact public health lab or OLIS for results
Sometimes an outbreak number is indicated on a lab which alerts the health unit that a negative result is important
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Q10: In addition to faxed lab results, how else is your PHU notified about
lab results? Select all that apply:
Answered: 16
Skipped: 6
Other, specify:
• Verbal coroner report
• PHAC reports
• iPHIS referrals
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Canadian blood services
Life insurance private testing
Q11: What are the standard operating procedures in place for managing
different lab results? Select all that apply:
Answered: 16
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Skipped: 6
Q12: How does your PHU manage duplicate lab results from various
laboratories?
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Manual review of incoming labs at intake (fax) and entry
point into iPHIS
Search functions such as specimen collected dates, sample
IDs
Check if lab provides new information (i.e. sensitivities)
Some PHUs store copies/archive duplicate labs for
comparisons
Q13: How does your PHU flag interruptions or delays in receiving lab
results? Select all that apply:
Answered: 16
Skipped: 6
Other, specify:
• Staff monitor results that are due to come in and record daily on a lab
sheet
• Flag if lab is received out of order (e.g. for TB, PCR received before AFB)
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Q14: Please identify any challenges surrounding the current lab process that
directly affects data reporting and/or case management. Select all that apply:
Answered: 16
Skipped: 6
Other, specify:
• Missing OB numbers, missing client contact details
• Not receiving clients without HCN
• Reporting of amended labs, duplicate/multiple lab results for same
client
• Receiving a lot of invalid specimens reported as indeterminant
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Q15: Does your PHU perform regular data quality checks and/or audits on
laboratory data in CCM?
Answered: 16
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Skipped: 6
Q16: Does your PHU have a data quality framework and/or auditing
process in place related to lab data?
Answered: 16
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Skipped: 6
Q17:If yes to question 16, are you willing to share?
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Periodic review of positive labs for interpretation value and observation values
Lab results consistent with case classification
VOC lab checks to confirm lineage and mutation mapping correctly
Check for missing lab results, missing fields and assigned to appropriate PHU
Ad hoc reports for missing flags, incomplete or inaccurate data on lab
reports/investigations
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Q18: If yes to question 16, is this process different for COVID-19 lab
results received via OLIS feed vs faxed results?
• No difference
• Additional reports to review manually entered labs
• Specific CCM QA leads
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Q19: Has your PHU observed any changes in timing of results for COVID19 lab results via OLIS-CCM feed compared to faxed labs?
Answered: 16
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Skipped: 6
Q20: Does your PHU find lab results reported by OLIS more reliable
compared to fax lab results?
Answered: 16
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Skipped: 6
Q21: Please identify any significant gaps/difficulties with the OLIS to CCM
feed of COVID-19 lab results. Please enter "none" if there is nothing to
report.
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The need for daily monitoring of lab results that feed into CCM to manage indeterminate
results
Clients without HCN are not entered and manual entry is required.
Missing information provided in comments section of labs
Labs through OLIS feed come broken into several results which greatly affects readability
and processing time
CCM logic still requires significant improvements to update classification, disposition,
status, etc.
Lab language to report results is not consistent and vague and the labs coding make it
complicated
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Q22: Please identify any other benefits that your PHU has
experienced from the OLIS-CCM feed of COVID-19 lab results.
Please enter "none" if there is nothing to report.
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Actioning things more quickly from OLIS
Very efficient for staff to review and verify the results, instead of entering
labs manually
Easy way to share lab results with other health units while maintaining PHI
Faster entry for large volumes
Having labs enter the system directly has been a huge time saver that also
cuts down on data entry errors
Ideally we do not want to use fax at all and prefer electronic methods
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Q23: How does your PHU keep informed of lab testing policy and process
changes? Select all that apply: Answered: 16 Skipped: 6
Other, specify:
• Data/OLIS/User group meetings
• Ministry/PHO teleconferences
• Monthly ID teleconference (pre-COVID-19)
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Q24: Describe which aspects of receiving lab results via fax is working well or
needs improvement for your PHU to manage cases and report on DOPHS?
• Duplicate results are easy to identify by comparing lab results
• Fax result allows for a check that all labs are entered by OLIS into CCM, verify all
demographic info matches
• Paper/electronic faxes often only provide the Final/Amended result
• Paper/electronic faxes may have additional information from handwritten notes or extra fields
that are not submitted to OLIS
• Entering lab results is time consuming;
• Ensuring all demographic info is on the lab
• Labs that have too many lines of text
• Limits capacity for working remotely
• Faxing does not work properly for all physicians as not connected to EMR
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Q25: Is there anything else you would like to share with us that we have
not covered in the previous questions?
• With no HCN its difficult to connect the same person to different results
• A few things need to be considered when brining in the other DOPHS and need to be able to get
results without HCN as requirement to continue to audit fax results is extremely tedious
• Continue getting input on the transition from iPHIS to CCM from as many end users as possible
to ensure a smooth transition
• Non-automated/human contact points should incorporated in the processing of more complex
chronic conditions as Syphilis and Hepatitis B to ensure correct interpretation of lab results
• Having the ability to track the status of a sample through the testing pathway from collection to
reporting the result to public health is critically important
• Better collaboration between the labs and the ministry so that each health unit is not responsible
for following up with each lab
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