Here are some examples of non-conforming events and what type of action to take:
- A physician calls the laboratory for assistance locating a test report for a discharged patient. Correction: Provide the report to the physician immediately.
- The same physician places a second call to the laboratory. She is investigating several missing laboratory reports. Corrective action: Determine the cause for repeated missing reports.
- A quote for outreach services was not accurate, but was corrected immediately. Correction: The inaccurate quote was correctly completed before it was returned to the customer.
- A quote for outreach services was not accurate and caused excessive overcharges. Corrective action: Determine the cause for the inaccuracy and why it was not corrected before charging the patient's bill. Overcharges must be refunded.
- A turnaround time (TAT) report for laboratory results on emergency room patients is showing an increasing trend, but has not yet exceeded the established threshold. Preventive action: Determine the cause of the potential problem in TAT.
