[Histonet] Productivity Measurement

[WILLIAM DESALVO]

The productivity measurement for your PA's will be different from other sites as you must consider and account for the critical factors that will dictate their productivity. This process, as all others in Histology, does not have one set protocol/procedure accepted by all and you cannot successfully evaluate staff on a "standard" that may be developed using different factors. You must measure what is happening in your lab and then set your "standard" and quality expectations. 
 
You have to take into account all "critical to success factors" for the task/bench (i.e. competency of staff, type/mix of specimens, the grossing protocol set by the Pathologist, number of specimens required for a tissue type, amount of non-gross dissection work performed on each specimen, computer interaction time) and then, I suggest, monitor on a daily basis to develop the "standard" for your lab. There will be a difference in the workload and work flow each day. I also suggest once you collect enough data to trend the task productivity, develop a "minimum expectation" standard that is a combination or productivity and quality and can be performed consistently for 2 hours at a time. There should be a break from the task after 2 hours or you will see a decrease in productivity and an increase in the possibility to create an error. The "minimum standard" will be a rate that all competent and trained PA's can achieve an maintain consistently. You then manage to the minimum standard and this standard should be evaluated on a regular basis and adjusted if and when the critical to success factors change.
 
If you take the time to develop a process for recording, evaluating and managing workload and work flow in you lab, you will be rewarded with increased employee satisfaction, management satisfaction and most importantly client/patient satisfaction, not to mention the increase in quality.  

William DeSalvo, B.S., HTL(ASCP)
Chair, NSH Quality Control Committee 



 
> From: DKnutson <@t> primecare.org
> To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:03:53 -0500
> Subject: [Histonet] Productivity Measurement
> 
> Hello Fellow Histonetters,
> 
> I am curious if any of you have a measurement level that your institution uses to show PA's their productivity level? I realize that much of it depends on the type of specimen and what is found in the specimen. Biopsies can be grossed in at greater speed then the more complex cases. Is there an established average productivity that a PA should be able to attain? So many cases per hour? Would be curious if any of you have some input to share on this subject. Thanks for responding.
> 
> Deanne Knutson
> Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
> (701)-530-6730
> dknutson <@t> primecare.org<mailto:dknutson <@t> primecare.org>
> 
> 
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