HealthServ’s Excellence in Laboratory Practices – Awarded as one of the Best in the Philippines

At HealthServ Los Baños Medical Center (HLBMC), our commitment to providing the highest quality care is constantly reflected in the services we offer and the innovations we pursue. We are thrilled to announce that our laboratory team’s hard work and dedication have been recognized on a national scale! HealthServ’s pioneering project, “Real Time Viber Critical Result Reporting,” has been awarded as one of the Top 5 Best Laboratory Practices in the country by the Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in Clinical Laboratories (PCQACL). This prestigious award was granted during the PCQACL Annual Convention, held last October 9-11, 2024, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas Center, Pasig.

 

A Victory for Quality and Innovation

 

Winning the award for “Best Laboratory Practice” is an affirmation of HealthServ’s unwavering focus on providing accurate, reliable, and timely laboratory results. The PCQACL Annual Convention gathers the brightest and most innovative minds in laboratory practice nationwide, and being recognized out of hundreds of other outstanding entries is truly an honor. Our project, “Real Time Viber Critical Result Reporting,” stood out for its ingenuity, efficacy, and direct impact on patient care.

 

The team behind this award-winning project includes Joan Ruvia Anis, our seasoned Chief Medical Technologist, and Jan Michelle Boado, our dedicated Laboratory QA, under the expert supervision of Vian Paolo Padua, Ancillary Department Manager of HLBMC. Their collective effort and passion to improve our laboratory processes have led to this groundbreaking achievement.

What is PCQACL?

 

The Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in Clinical Laboratories (PCQACL) is a distinguished organization that promotes and monitors the adherence of clinical laboratories in the Philippines to the highest standards of quality and safety. Every year, PCQACL hosts its Annual Convention to highlight and recognize laboratories across the country that are setting the benchmark in laboratory practices. The convention features the “Best Quality Practices” competition, where top laboratories present their most effective projects aimed at advancing the practice of laboratory medicine.

 

In 2024, HLBMC’s project was selected as one of the Top 5 Best Practices from a competitive pool of submissions across the country. The theme of this year’s convention, “Inducing Change and Global Initiatives for Laboratory Education and Quality (IGNITE),” emphasizes the need for continuous evolution in the field of laboratory science. HealthServ’s win exemplifies the kind of change and progress that IGNITE encourages.

 

Real Time Viber Critical Result Reporting: A Game-Changer for HealthServ

 

The importance of Real-Time Reporting cannot be overstated. In an era where information is rapidly evolving, real-time reporting provides organizations with a competitive edge. It allows for immediate analysis and actionable insights, ensuring that teams can react promptly to critical developments.

 

Here’s how it works: 

 

As soon as the Laboratory Technologist produces a Critical Result upon Testing, the technologist first checks specimen integrity by asking if the specimen is hemolyzed, icteric, or lipemic. Then the check for machine integrity by looking at machine QC’s condition or if it was in working order. Then the check for Reagent integrity, i.e. determine Reagents expiry, Viability, and QC values. Finally, regarding the patient’s initial diagnosis, the LabTech confirms the patient’s initial assessment and chief complaint, medication they’ve taken, and what preparations they took upon testing. If the preanalytical phase does not show any issues, then the LabTech proceeds to the next step.

 

This is where the Real Time Viber Critical Result Reporting comes into play: 

 

The data gathered in the investigation will be reported to the pathologist via viber, which will lead to these possible outcomes: First, parties are in agreement with the result and the information gathered simply because the critical result correlates with the initial diagnosis or the patient condition already expects a critical result. Second, parties decide to repeat collection if the specimen integrity has been compromised, if the site collection was inappropriate, or if they need to verify patient condition by reproducing the same result. 

 

The Pathologist acquires all the necessary information from the nurse or the person who assessed the patient’s condition prior to testing–including the dates and times of the testing and specimen collection–in order to make an informed decision whether to authorize the release of the critical results or perform a retest.  Should the above person be unavailable, the OIC or senior technologist present will have the authority to release the results. Everything in the process is documented via a Critical Values Log Sheet.

 

 

Leading the Way in Laboratory Excellence

 

The recognition from PCQACL not only speaks to the effectiveness of the Real Time Viber Critical Result Reporting project but also underscores the importance of quality assurance in clinical laboratories. At HealthServ, we believe that accurate and timely diagnostics are the foundation of excellent patient care. Our laboratory team works tirelessly to ensure that critical information is communicated efficiently and accurately to healthcare providers, allowing them to make informed decisions that impact patient outcomes.

 

Joan Ruvia Anis, our Chief Medical Technologist, shares, “Winning this award means so much to us at HealthServ. It validates the hard work and innovative solutions we’ve implemented to improve our laboratory services. But more than that, it drives us to keep pushing boundaries to provide even better service to our patients and the community.”

 

Why This Project Matters

The Real Time Viber Critical Result Reporting project was designed with one goal in mind: to ensure that critical laboratory results are communicated as quickly as possible to the physicians in charge. In the past, delays in reporting could lead to delays in patient care, but through this innovative use of technology, those critical moments are now optimized, ensuring patients receive the timely care they deserve.

 

This project integrates modern messaging platforms, like Viber, to send real-time alerts to doctors about critical laboratory results. The immediacy and convenience of this system mean that healthcare providers can act swiftly on life-saving data, improving patient outcomes and overall hospital efficiency. HealthServ has always believed in the power of technology to bridge gaps and improve service delivery, and this award-winning project is a testament to that belief.

A Heartfelt Dedication to Our Community

While this recognition is a proud moment for our laboratory team, it also reflects HealthServ’s broader mission to provide compassionate care that our community deserves. Our hospital has always placed a strong emphasis on quality and innovation, not only to meet but to exceed the expectations of our patients.

 

We see this award not just as an achievement for HealthServ but as an opportunity to share our innovations with other laboratories across the country. By sharing the success of the Real Time Viber Critical Result Reporting project, we hope to inspire other healthcare institutions to adopt similar practices that will enhance the efficiency and reliability of their laboratory operations.

 

What’s Next for HealthServ?

As we move forward, HealthServ will continue to pursue projects and innovations that enhance the patient experience and improve the quality of healthcare services. We understand that the healthcare landscape is constantly evolving, and our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement will ensure that we remain at the forefront of these changes.

Our team, led by professionals like Joan Ruvia Anis and Jan Michelle Boado, along with the support of Vian Paolo Padua and the entire Ancillary Department, will continue to strive for better practices that benefit not only our patients but the healthcare system as a whole.

We are immensely proud of this achievement, and we remain focused on our goal of providing excellent care with heart. Through this and many other projects, HealthServ is working towards making a lasting impact on the lives of our patients and the community.

 

Conclusion

Winning the Best Laboratory Practice award at the 21st PCQACL Annual Convention is more than just a feather in HealthServ’s cap. It is a celebration of the dedication and hard work that our laboratory team puts in day in and day out. As we continue to innovate and adapt to the changing needs of the healthcare industry, we remain committed to our mission of delivering compassionate care with excellence.

We invite you to watch the heartwarming testimonial of Tatay Abel, one of our long-time dialysis patients, who is a testament to the dedication of our entire healthcare team. Stories like his inspire us to keep going and remind us of the profound impact that quality healthcare can have on people’s lives.