Table 2.
Survey results
| Category | Question | N (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Specimen bottle | Patient information included on the bottle | |
| Barcoded | 49(34.8) | |
| Handwritten | 92(65.2) | |
| Number of pieces of patient information | ||
| 1 | 20(14.2) | |
| 2 | 28(19.9) | |
| 3 | 23(16.3) | |
| 4 | 36(25.5) | |
| 5 | 25(17.7) | |
| 6 | 9(6.4) | |
| Collection tube for routine chemistry tests | ||
| Plain tube | 26(18.4) | |
| SST | 114(80.9) | |
| Others | 1(0.7) | |
| Manufacturer of SST | ||
| BD | 54(38.3) | |
| Greiner | 52(36.9) | |
| AB Medical | 12(7.5) | |
| Others | 9(6.4) | |
| Unknown | 14(9.9) | |
| How the specimen bottle is selected | ||
| Referral laboratory supplies the specimen bottle | 118(83.7) | |
| The clinic provides the referral laboratory with the recommended collection bottle | 16(11.3) | |
| The clinic purchases collection bottles as they see fit | 6(4.3) | |
| Unknown | 1(0.7) | |
| Centrifugation | A centrifuge is available at the clinic | |
| Yes | 100(70.9) | |
| No | 41(29.1) | |
| Reason for not having a centrifuge at the clinic | ||
| Too expensive | 8(19.5) | |
| Difficult to manage | 22(53.7) | |
| Unsure of the need | 10(24.4) | |
| Unknown | 1(2.4) | |
| Period of centrifugation (when available at the clinic) | ||
| ~30 minutes after sampling | 37(37.0) | |
| Immediately after sampling | 41(41.0) | |
| At a designated time (e.g., once a day in the afternoon) | 10(10.0) | |
| Rarely use a centrifuge | 8(8.0) | |
| On arrival at the referral laboratory | 3(3.0) | |
| Others | 1(1.0) | |
| Specimen storage temperature after centrifugation | ||
| Refrigerator temperature | 77(86.5) | |
| Room temperature | 12(13.5) | |
| Specimen storage condition after centrifugation | ||
| In an SST | 67(58.3) | |
| In a plain tube | 24(20.9) | |
| Transfer serum into a serum separator | 15(13.0) | |
| Transfer serum into a microtube | 9(7.8) | |
| Specimen storage temperature without centrifugation | ||
| Refrigerator temperature | 35(66.0) | |
| Room temperature | 17(32.1) | |
| Freezing temperature | 1(1.9) | |
| Specimen storage condition without centrifugation | ||
| Insert the tube in an upright position into a rack | 41(77.4) | |
| Placed upright or tilted in paper cups, etc. | 8(15.1) | |
| Storage in a basket, etc. | 3(5.7) | |
| Unknown | 1(1.9) | |
| Specimen storage/delivery | Do referral laboratories have trained clinic staff on specimen storage | |
| Trained | 76(53.9) | |
| Not trained | 64(45.4) | |
| Unknown | 1(0.7) | |
| Number of times specimens are delivered during workdays (Monday to Friday) | ||
| 2 times/day | 12(8.5) | |
| 1 time/day | 122(86.5) | |
| < 1 time/day | 7(5.0) | |
| Number of times specimens are delivered on a saturday | ||
| 2 times/day | 1(0.7) | |
| 1 time/day | 106(75.2) | |
| < 1 time/day | 8(5.7) | |
| None | 17(12.1) | |
| Clinic is not open | 8(5.7) | |
| Unknown | 1(0.7) | |
| Number of times specimens are delivered on a sunday | ||
| 1 time/day | 2(1.4) | |
| < 1 time/day | 3(2.1) | |
| None | 43(30.5) | |
| Clinic is closed | 93(66.0) | |
| Specimen delivery schedule the day before the clinic is closed | ||
| All specimens are delivered the day before | 60(42.6) | |
| Specimens are delivered as scheduled and the remaining are delivered on the day the clinic opens | 15(10.6) | |
| Specimens are delivered as scheduled and the remaining are delivered at designated times on the day the clinic opens | 60(42.6) | |
| No days of clinic closure | 4(2.8) | |
| Others | 2(1.4) | |
| Specimen quality | Awareness that some test results are erroneous when blood is hemolyzed | |
| I know | 136(96.5) | |
| I do not request tests that are affected by hemolysis | 3(2.1) | |
| I do not know | 2(1.4) | |
| Frequency of receiving erroneous results due to hemolysis | ||
| ~1/10 patients | 4(2.8) | |
| ~1/100 patients | 26(18.4) | |
| ~1/1,000 patients | 53(37.6) | |
| ~1/10,000 patients | 41(29.1) | |
| Almost never | 17(12.1) | |
| If hemolysis is thought to have caused an erroneous result, the following actions are taken | ||
| Resampling and retesting | 79(45.1) | |
| If the test is not critical, no further testing | 42(24.0) | |
| Inform the patient that no resampling will be conducted | 26(14.9) | |
| Retest using the previous specimen | 20(11.4) | |
| Do not disclose to the patient; no resampling conducted | 4(2.3) | |
| Others | 4(2.3) |
Abbreviation: SST, serum separating tube.