Sample Collection process

• Head of department and other teaching staff for review and taking action on nonconformance
• Residents and technicians for day to day observation and record
• Technicians for carrying out the process

• Collection at OPD
  • Patient Reception
    • Ask patients to wait in line
    • Expedite request if required due to health or any other reason; for example
      • last trimester pregnancy
      • Mothers/fathers with ill/irritable kids
      • Very weak patients
    • At large public hospital, being cool, verbal acknowledgement of problems of long queue, “How are you?”, “Sorry”, “Thanks” can help
  • Collection of data from request form/case paper (general)
    • Ask patients to give request form filled by clinicians.
      • Some busy clinicians may simply write names of required examination in cash sheet.
        • Accept it.
        • Filling separate request form is desirable but not essential
        • Read patients name/MRD numbers etc from case sheet.
        • Be careful to note date of request. In hurry, older request may be unnecessarily repeated again.
      • Prepare secondary request form where ever required by sub-sections of the laboratory
      • Enter data in LIS where ever applicable
      • Request patient to take case papers/secondary request form to Fee payment window
      • Further details

• Fee payment window will collect necessary fees
  • give patient receipt.
  • In the past there were issues of not-returning excess payment (change).
    • It is unacceptable.
    • Ensure availability of change
      • In case of difficulty, take support from cash section of the hospital
  • Further details
• Collection of data from request form/case paper (section specific)
  • Use section specific form to get required data.
  • If required use patient case sheet directly to obtain necessary information (e.g treatment given, age, current diagnosis, detailed address, phone numbers
• Entry into LIS
• Preparation of sample containers
• Issue of sample containers
• Guiding patient to sample collection cubicles
• Collection at Ward
• Verification of request form
• Verification of sample
• Verification of request form and sample association
• Collection at home by patients

1. completion of request form or electronic request;
2. preparation of the patient (e.g. instructions to caregivers, phlebotomists, sample collectors and patients);
3. type and amount of the primary sample to be collected with descriptions of the primary sample containers and any necessary additives;
4. special timing of collection, where needed;
5. clinical information relevant to or affecting sample collection, examination performance or result interpretation (e.g. history of administration of drugs).
6. determination of the identity of the patient from whom a primary sample is collected;
7. verification that the patient meets pre-examination requirements [e.g. fasting status, medication status (time of last dose, cessation), sample collection at predetermined time or time intervals, etc.];
8. instructions for collection of primary blood and non-blood samples, with descriptions of the primary sample containers and any necessary additives;
9. in situations where the primary sample is collected as part of clinical practice, information and instructions regarding primary sample containers, any necessary additives and any necessary processing and sample transport conditions is determined and communicated to the appropriate clinical staff;
10. instructions for labelling of primary samples in a manner that provides an unequivocal link with the patients from whom they are collected;
11. recording of the identity of the person collecting the primary sample and the collection date, and, when needed, recording of the collection time;
12. instructions for proper storage conditions before collected samples are delivered to the laboratory;
13. safe disposal of materials used in the collection.