9 Metrics to Guide a Patient-Centric Blood Testing Process

Patient-centric blood testing has become an imperative. A survey by Aflac found that one in three Americans have knowingly avoided a recommended blood test screening despite the fact that 70 percent of medical decisions are guided by lab work. Such disinclination toward blood testing does not only represent missed diagnoses—allowing treatable conditions to go untreated and costing lives—but a missed opportunity for healthcare organizations to strengthen loyalty among their patients.

The natural answer to this conundrum is to reimagine the blood testing journey around the needs and preferences of the patient. The process of doing so, in turn, will require a practical scorecard to identify shortcomings, measure progress, and guide the way forward. What follows are the nine metrics any lab can use to assess and direct a patient-centric blood testing process. 

Organizational performance metrics

Organizational performance is the aspect of blood testing that is most directly controllable. These metrics respond first to new changes, and often lead patient-related indicators.

1. Average wait and procedure times

Few aspects of any procedure have a bigger impact on patient perception than time. By measuring the minutes each patient spends sitting in the waiting room or undergoing the blood test across times and locations, organizations can identify where additional staff, adjusted procedures, or new technology could shave time off the visit duration.

2. Failed or delayed test results

This metric counts the number of blood tests that must be repeated, delayed, or rejected at some point during the process, postponing care and reducing patients’ trust. It can help to flag blind spots in quality control or collection procedures that ought to be tightened.

3. Turnaround time

Turnaround time (TAT) measures the interval between specimen collection and result delivery. A shorter duration leads to reassured patients and more timely diagnoses. Longer TAT, especially when segmented across test types and departments, can reveal particular opportunities for improved efficiency.

Patient attitude metrics

Patients’ attitudes toward their experience will reflect the successes or shortcomings of organizational changes. These metrics tend to precede behavioral metrics.

4. HCAHPS scores

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey remains a strong indicator of patient perception. Improved sub-scores in categories like comfort and communication provide a signal that patients are becoming more satisfied with the blood testing process.

5. Net promoter score

By gauging a patient’s likelihood of recommending a blood testing facility, net promoter score (NPS) unites the countless factors that influence patient behavior into a simple metric that can be consistently measured over time. An improved NPS suggests that the entire blood testing process has become more inviting to the patient.

Patient behavior metrics

Changes in behavior are the end goal and ultimate indicator of a patient-centric approach. Patients’ decisions are often influenced by their attitudes toward previous experiences.

6. Adherence to recommended testing

Patients that avoid recommended follow-up tests clearly demonstrate a lack of trust in some aspect of the organization and its blood testing facilities. A high rate of on-time adherence, meanwhile, signals that they consider the process to be sufficiently trustworthy and convenient.

7. Delays in follow-up treatment

While testing is instrumental for timely diagnoses, its ultimate purpose is to enable timely treatment. Keeping track of how many patients delay treatment—and by how much time—can help gauge the quality of communication or the effects of testing delays.

8. Patient leakage

Patient leakage to external or out-of-network facilities highlights a breakdown in satisfaction or referral management, and can have both clinical and financial repercussions. Low leakage suggests that the blood testing process has successfully earned loyalty with the patient.

9. Adoption rate

Adoption rate refers to the proportion of eligible patients that make use of the organization’s blood testing services. Rising adoption correlates with a particularly accessible and convenient option relative to competing labs and organizations.

Turning metrics into meaningful change

This list represents a comprehensive scorecard of interrelated metrics that can help healthcare organizations monitor patient-centricity in the short, medium, and long terms. By drawing correlations from each metric down to the real-world circumstances that shape the patient experience, leaders will inevitably encounter specific, actionable opportunities to capture the loyalty and trust that drives effective health care.