Technologist Productivity
If you are already monitoring TAT per test as a quality indicator, do you still need to have Technologist Productivity as another quality indicator?
If you are already monitoring TAT per test as a quality indicator, do you still need to have Technologist Productivity as another quality indicator?
Comments
If TAT quality indicator reached the setting target, i think it is no need to have the technologist productivity as another quality indicator. But if TAT doesn't reach the setting target, we need to considerate the technologist productivity as another quality indicator because it can help us to know about our workload and look back on our process.
Monitoring TAT does not take away the need to monitor Technologist Productivity, since the purpose and objectives of both indicators are not the same. There are different activities across the path of workflow that contribute to achieving TAT. These different activities may be performed by different Technologists. As a result, there is need to monitor the productivity of each Technologist and how it is contributing to achieving TAT. Monitoring Technologist productivity can also guide the Lab management in re-assigning responsibilities based on identified weaknesses.
I agree with Eke in monitoring technologist productivity although time will count but our main focus will be on quality results and not on hours worked. In this case we will be looking at the quality and not quantity of work done per hour or per day. This is what will help us keep our customers/ clients coming back to get services from us. Therefore monitoring TAT doesn't take away the need to monitor Technologist productivity.
Yes you can have both in that TAT only looks at test performed on time while technologist productivity looks at staff performance, absenteeism and efficiency.
In my point of view, we still need to monitor technologist productivity even thought we are monitoring TAT quality indicator. Each quality indictor has different purpose, objective, method, and goal setting. It should be discussed during management review meeting on the selection of quality indicator.
Thank you Lamleav, Alice, Eke, Esther N and Kimsorn for your sharing your thoughts and comments. Very sound reasoning! How do we then set the goals/target for the Tech Productivity? Would it be like x number of tests per shift? Would it be possible to increase the target or goals i.e. 50 Routine Urinalysis per 8 hour shift to 60 or 70 in yearly basis? This could be a revenue generating activity if you are a pay-for-service laboratory.
Yes. I do think the technology productivity need to be monitored still. The efforts of more than one technology may contribute to the TAT. Monitoring this with the TAT may provide management with very important information for task assignment and better performance.
My view is that another quality indicator could be establish to monitor technologist productivity through measuring labour minutes per tests at departmental or bench level. Productivity targets can be determined and set for this indicator and if the labour minutes per tests can be reduced by even a small fraction, this may lead to substantial cost savings over a long term period. Moreover, it will also impact the TAT positively.
I agree with those who have mentioned that we should continue monitoring because the implementation of Quality Management System is a continues process.
Yes, monitoring TAT can be achieved at the expense of Technologist productivity. Sometimes Technicians rush work looking at the time; or even working extra hours to catch up with the TAT target, not necessarily paying attention to quality results produced, and also sometimes overstretching the short staffed Techs on ground, and that on its own lead to customer dissatisfaction. So, Technologist productivity must be monitored for management to make proper decision decision on personnel requirement and management
For setting up goal/target of the productivity we may need to start from measuring the current capacity of the lab staff . It is one of challenging step. It depends mainly on the testing technique (manual or automate), quantity of test request. in my experience, although some laboratories calculate the productivity but they don't really make it useful in the to help improving quality in their lab.
yes, it's important also to look focus on technologist productivity because when you observed that there is a reduction in turnaround time that means there should be an increase in productivity, not the other way around. productivity should be assessed in a manner that factors such as availability of resources, technology, and environment are taken into consideration.
Both are needed
I think the organization may think of establishing other Quality indicator relevant to Technologist productivity based on the different variances in the Path of Workflow particularly; Pre Examination, Examination and Post examination. Now that the output would be the Accurate, Reliable, Timely and interpretive results, it may be wise review the accomplished TAT and to determine whether the information released was valid to enable patient management despite the fact that the results were released within TAT.
I have opinion that we need to consider other indicators for staff productivity based on the following;
1. Identification of work performed by Technologist and relationship to the problem solving i.e. the way the staff could apply “Just Culture” and its effectiveness in the organization so as to ensure continual improvement.
2. to determine the average technologist productivity for each day by calculating average work per hour, day or a month. It is important to consider the contribution of Technologist productivity in terms of increased revenue or reduced cost of solving problems through Technologist errors as a human factor.
3. Participating on the design of improvement projects to address customer satisfaction apart from already done quality indicators
Worldwide, there is ongoing pressure on healthcare budgets to increase efficiency by lowering service delivery costs while improving quality. I believe that TAT is a Quality indicator, whereas technologist productivity is more of an efficiency indicator. Even though a lab is hitting its TAT targets, doing so could be at a very high cost hence unsustainable. What part did each person play in achieving this target TAT? This question can only be answered by tracking individual productivity and by doing so, it will be easy for one to do optimization or performance assessment of staff, Identify individual underperformance/ redundancy and hence act to improve efficiency.
Additionally, Technologist Productivity can assist you in identifying the top lab performers. By identifying your top performers, you can quickly assess the strategies/methods they are employing to meet the targets they have been given (these might be personal innovations). As a result, you can redesign laboratory procedures using their methods/techniques/practices, and you can train other staff members how to work more productively hence increasing efficiency.
We still need to have Technologist Productivity as another quality indicator as there those people who are good on taking a ride on others by pretending to be busy at work yet there would be no results to show. Information is useful to make staff rationalization to try and distribute work in a fairly manner
I'm of the opinion that technologies productive should be monitored through the following approached;
a) Number of hours worked per day
b) Number of days worked per week
c) volume of work done within the stipulated time i,e. the ability to meet set targets.
As TAT has its own objectives for instance meeting the result allocated time. Laboratory productivity should also be taken as an other quality indicator apart, to monitor also the commitment of the staff, as sometime the workload can be low in a given section and the staff from this section can have a good will to support his/her colleagues in the overloaded section.This should lighten the manager on how the personnel are responsible and committed and this can be taken into account while searching and selecting the heads of sections or while assigning some responsibilities.
For me to monitor Technologist productivity we should define number of tasks a Technologist can perform on the shift and evaluate what is done in percentage. TAT is important also in Technologist productivity to see if task is done on time and if result is useful for the patient.
Technologist productivity alone can not be effective without considering factors like technology, equipment, and environment just to mention a few. with the availability of resources will not only increase technologist productivity but become beneficial to the organization such as minimizing over time, and reducing staff turnover. to enhance continuous technologist productivity one needs to standardization of processes, and constant focus on improvements to productivity and workflow. not to forget to list is the usage of information technology.