Table 4
Reasons why a result may not reach the clinician
| Stage | Procedure | Error |
|---|---|---|
| Preanalytical | Patient request written | Wrong identification; wrong spelling of name; tests not entered |
| Blood drawn | Wrong blood tubes; tube unlabelled or wrongly labelled | |
| Blood sent to laboratory | Sample lost or broken | |
| Data entry | Sample and request card part company; ID or name misspelt; tests missed; wrong test requested; wrong destination entered | |
| Centrifugation | Tube broken | |
| Aliquoting | Tube wrongly labelled; tubes mixed | |
| Postanalytical | Analysis | Assay failure; sampling error |
| Result entry to clinician | Input error for less automated tests; wrong destination; result lost in transit | |
| Result received | Mislaid; computer failure |
