Reducing Phlebotomy Redraws Through Pre-Analytic SOPs: Training, Fidelity, and Outcome Metrics from a Community Hospital

• Author(s): Farisai Melody Nare; Munashe Naphtali Mupa; Zainab Mugenyi; Peter Mangoro; Ken Mudzingwa
• Paper ID: 1712590
• Page: 521-528
• Published Date: 08-12-2025
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 9 Issue 6 December-2025

Abstract

The typical pre-analytic errors that may be encountered in the clinical laboratory, which affect the validity of diagnostic findings and add to the overall healthcare expenses include phlebotomy redraws and hemolysis. The current study investigates the effect of pre-analytic checklists on the decrease of the rate of phlebotomy redraws and hemolysis in a hospital laboratory. The study is based on the design of an interrupted time-series analysis where the data on blood samples were compared before and after the implementation of the standardized pre-analytic checklists. The variables in the data were patient demographics, sample quality (hemolysis rates and redraw rates), and checklist compliance. The measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention were the use of descriptive statistics, process control charts, and root cause analysis. The findings demonstrated a substantial decrease in redraws and the rate of hemolysis when using the checklists and the improvement of the procedures of handling the samples and labeling them. The results indicate that pre-analytic checklist intervention helped in enhancing failure to comply with laboratory protocols resulting in reduced sample rejection or lack of diagnostic accuracy. Demographic characteristics (age, gender, disease condition) were also reported to be involved in sample quality, which necessitates individual phlebotomy procedures. This research highlights the significance of pre-analytic checklists to improve the performance of the laboratory and minimize phlebotomy error. The findings have a practical implication on how to enhance training programs and hospital protocols, which assumes that the use of checklists in the standard operating procedure should be adopted. The sustainability of the checklist use should be considered in future studies, along with its usage in different environments and with different patient groups in hospitals.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Farisai Melody Nare, Munashe Naphtali Mupa, Zainab Mugenyi, Peter Mangoro, Ken Mudzingwa "Reducing Phlebotomy Redraws Through Pre-Analytic SOPs: Training, Fidelity, and Outcome Metrics from a Community Hospital" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 6 2025 Page 521-528

IEEE:
Farisai Melody Nare, Munashe Naphtali Mupa, Zainab Mugenyi, Peter Mangoro, Ken Mudzingwa "Reducing Phlebotomy Redraws Through Pre-Analytic SOPs: Training, Fidelity, and Outcome Metrics from a Community Hospital" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(6)