COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY

BY ORDER OF THE COMMANDER 59TH MEDICAL WING 59TH MEDICAL WING INSTRUCTION 44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 Medical CRITICAL TEST AND CRITICAL VALUE MANAGEMENT COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available on the e-publishing website at www.e-publishing.af.mil for downloading or ordering. RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication. OPR: 59 LSQ/SGVLH Supersedes: 59MDWI44-155, 22 June 2009 Certified by: 59 LSQ/CC (Col Joseph P. Pelletier) Pages: 9 This instruction implements Air Force Policy Directive 44-1, Medical Operation; Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) Quality of Care, Chapter 4, and SG NOTAM 12-003, Ordering and Communicating Test Results. This instruction defines policy and procedures to ensure the timeliness of reporting and receipt of critical test results and critical values from the point of origin to the responsible Licensed Independent Provider (LIP) to enable the provision of timely and appropriate treatment of the patient. This instruction applies to test results, values, and/or interpretations from the laboratory and radiology departments, as well as electrocardiogram/holter results from primary care and specialty care clinics. This instruction is aligned with Brooke Army Medical Center Memo 40-213, Medical Services Patient Safety Program and BAMC DPALS SOP GE-QA.019-01.A05, Verification and Notification of Critical Values/Critical Tests. This instruction applies to all personnel assigned to, employed by, or contracted to Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center and its assigned activities, to include 59th Dental Group. This instruction does not apply to personnel assigned to the 359th Medical Group. This instruction does not apply to the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve. Refer recommended changes and questions about this publication to the Office of Primary Responsibility using the AF Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication. Ensure that all records created as a result of processes prescribed in this publication are maintained in accordance with Air Force Manual 33-363, Management of Records, and disposed of in accordance with Air Force Records Information Management System Records Disposition Schedule located at https://www.my.af.mil/afrims/afrims/afrims/rims.cfm

2 59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 SUMMARY OF CHANGES This document has been substantially revised and must be completely reviewed. Major changes include: added AAAHC Quality of Care requirements; added both positive and negative results for tests ordered for a specific indication; changed operating room to same day surgery /ambulatory procedure visit (APV) values. 1. Responsibilities. 1.1. Senior Leadership will: 1.1.1. Promote a culture that emphasizes timely reporting of critical test results and values to the responsible LIP. 1.1.2. Ensure all relevant personnel are educated on the policies and procedures delineated in this instruction. 1.1.3. Ensure adherence to this instruction. 1.2. Department Chairmen will ensure the accuracy of pager numbers on the call roster and other contact information for reporting critical test results or critical values. 1.3. Providers will ensure a point of contact and pager number are indicated on each test ordered. 1.4. Nursing personnel will ensure LIP contact name and pager number are noted on test requests. 1.5. All staff will follow the guidelines and procedures for submitting laboratory specimens as noted in LSQ 44-42, Laboratory Handbook. 2. Definitions. 2.1. Critical Result/Value. Test result that is abnormal to a degree that it may indicate a life threatening situation. A complete listing of critical laboratory values is located in Attachment 2 of 59MDWI 44-136, Laboratory Program. A listing of critical diagnostic imaging values is located in Attachment 2 of this instruction, and a listing of critical electrocardiogram findings is located in Attachment 3 of this instruction. 2.2. Critical Test. A test or exam that always requires rapid communication of results, whether those results are normal or abnormal. 2.2.1. This organization has determined that STAT testing, as used in common practice, are not always critical tests. Our target for truly critical tests is no more than 1 hour from the time of the order to the time the results are communicated to the ordering LIP. However, it is not possible to distinguish between true critical test orders and noncritical STAT or NOW orders. 2.3. Clinically Significant. Test results/values that fall outside of normal standards as defined by laboratory or radiology, but the impact to the patient is not life threatening. 3. Procedures. 3.1. Reporting critical tests and values.

59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 3 3.1.1. For the identified critical tests, the length of time between the time the test is ordered and the results are reported to the responsible LIP will not exceed the time frames noted below: 3.1.1.1. Intraoperative Consultation 20 minutes. 3.1.1.2. For the identified critical tests, all results (including normal values) must be called to the responsible LIP as soon as the result is available. The result must be identified as a critical test result. If the responsible LIP or other certified/privileged individual is unable to take the call, a registered nurse (RN) may take the critical test result. Under no circumstances should results be given to unlicensed personnel (e.g. secretary, student, unit clerk). 3.1.1.3. All results, the name of the provider notified, the time and date of notification, and read back of the result must be documented as part of the laboratory or radiology result. 3.1.2. Critical Values. 3.1.2.1. All diagnostic tests resulted as a critical value, including those tests ordered for completion in a routine fashion, will be communicated to the responsible LIP and/or authorized designee within the following target time limits: (Note: Includes all other results that are determined by the Laboratorian, Radiologist, or other diagnostician to be critical to the patient s subsequent treatment decision.) 3.1.2.1.1. Lab 60 minutes. 3.1.2.1.2. Radiology 60 minutes. For the diagnostic imaging tests and indications in Attachment 2, positive results are considered critical values. Note: If imaging is a repeat or follow-up, it is not considered a critical result unless there is a change for the worse from prior imaging. 3.1.2.1.3. Electrocardiograms (ECG). Critical Holter values are reported immediately (within 10 minutes) to cardiology staff during duty hours by the cardiology technician or nurse; the same reporting procedures to a LIP apply to primary care clinic(s) and the Urgent Care Center. The ordering provider will determine validity and what actions need to be taken (e.g. institute Basic Life Support/Advanced Cardiac Life Support procedures, transport to appropriate level of care). 3.1.2.1.3.1. Once the patient is stabilized, nurse must sign/date/time the abnormal ECG or Holter. The notified provider must also sign, stamp, date, and time the ECG or Holter report at the time he/she is notified of the critical result. 3.1.2.2. If the target notification time limit is exceeded because of an inability to contact the requesting LIP, the chain of command for the ordering provider shall be notified. The incident shall be documented in the Patient Safety Reporting system through the unit Patient Safety Monitor. The reporting unit will telephonically notify the Patient Safety office at 292-6161/0220/6283 the next duty day if the event occurs overnight or on a weekend or holiday. The Patient Safety Office will contact the radio communication and pager office to determine if there was a mechanical failure

4 59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 with the pager. The Patient Safety Office will then contact the on-call provider s electronic call roster point of contact to determine if the delay the unit experienced in contacting a provider was due to a provider change that was not reflected on the call roster. 3.1.2.3. Notification of the responsible LIP shall be accomplished with an active notification system (e.g. pagers, phone) with the capacity for verbal acknowledgement from the individual receiving the information. The individual receiving the information must document the information as an Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA) note or outpatient telephone consult, as an entry into Essentris (Same day surgery/apv patient), or as an entry on the SF 509, Progress Notes, before taking action on the critical test result/value/interpretation. In addition, the individual receiving the information will read back (RB) the result, obtain verification, and annotate with RB in the patient s medical document before taking action on the critical test result(s) or critical value(s) and/or interpretation(s) before taking action on the critical result/value/interpretation. 3.2. Reporting Outpatient Values. 3.2.1. During normal duty hours. 3.2.1.1. Contact the requesting provider. If no response after 10 minutes, contact the on-call provider. If no response or other provider not available, notify the clinic RN of the results. Listing and phone numbers for on-call providers for each clinic can be found on the 59 MDW SharePoint Clinical Tab under Call Roster (AMION; www.amion.com; each section has its own password to access the call rosters on AMION). 3.2.1.2. The RN who receives the critical lab value/report or critical test result will: 3.2.1.2.1. Immediately notify the patient s provider. 3.2.1.2.2. Place a telephone consult in AHLTA to the provider notified documenting the date, time, the critical lab value/report or critical test result, the name of the person reporting the information, the name and time the provider notified. 3.2.1.2.3. If the provider is not immediately available, the RN will notify the flight commander or covering provider. 3.2.2. After normal duty hours, weekends, or holidays. 3.2.2.1. Page the on-call clinic provider. If no response after 10 minutes, notify the on-call service provider. 3.2.2.2. On-call provider will take appropriate action. 3.3. Reporting Critical Results for Same Day Surgery/APV Values. Call the operating room and notify patient s surgeon. If the surgeon is unavailable, notify the anesthesia provider or operating room RN responsible for the patient. 3.4. Reporting Urgent Care Center Values. Call the ordering provider. If not available, ask for the Urgent Care Center physician or physician currently assigned to the patient. If not available, notify the Urgent Care Center RN Shift Leader with the results.

59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 5 3.5. Reporting Values/Results to Off-Base Facilities. Contact ordering provider or have their answering service request the provider return call as soon as possible. At no time may results be left with the answering service or answering machine. If no contact is made with the provider within 10 minutes: 3.5.1. Notify the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC) pathologist oncall with all critical laboratory values. 3.5.2. Notify the Diagnostic Imaging Flight Commander with all critical radiology results. 4. Data Monitoring, Collection, and Analysis. 4.1. Monitoring and evaluation of the critical test and critical value process will be performed monthly. 4.2. Audits must look at a minimum of the following components: 4.2.1. For Critical Tests, the key metric for the audit is the 90% compliance for notification from time the test was ordered to the time the provider was notified. 4.2.2. For Critical Values/Reports the key metric for the audit is the 90% compliance for notification from time the result/report was deemed critical to the time the provider was notified. 4.3. Patient Safety will review and analyze selected data and report findings to the Executive Committee of the Medical Staff and the Performance Improvement Committee, and the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis. HELEN M. HOOTSMANS, Colonel, USAF, MC, FS Chief of the Medical Staff

6 59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 References Attachment 1 GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION AFPD 44-1, Medical Operations, 1 September 1999 Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), 2012 Accreditation Handbook for Ambulatory Health Care, Quality of Care, Chapter 4 59MDWI 44-130, Patient Safety, 2 December 2011 59MDWI 44-136, Laboratory Program, 4 May 2011 SG NOTAM 12-003,Ordering and Communicating Test Results, March 2012 BAMC Memo 40-213, Medical Services Patient Safety Program, 13 June 2012 BAMC DPALS SOP GE-QA.019-01.A05 Verification and Notification of Critical Values/Critical Tests, 17 February 2009 Adopted Forms AF Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication, 22 September 2009 SF 509, Progress Notes, July 1991 Abbreviations and Acronyms AAAHC Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care AHLTA Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application APV Ambulatory Procedures Unit ECG Electrocardiogram LIP Licensed Independent Provider RB Read Back RN Registered Nurse Terms Critical Results/Values Test results that are abnormal to a degree that it may indicate a life threatening situation. Critical Test A test or exam that always requires rapid communication of results, whether those results are normal or abnormal. Clinically Significant Laboratory values that fall outside of normal standards as defined by the laboratory, but the impact to the patient is not life threatening. Read Back The process of confirming the Responsible Licensed Caregiver s understanding of the notifying party s communication of the Critical Value by asking the Responsible Licensed Caregiver to document the communicated information and then reading it back to the notifying party.

59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 7 Responsible Licensed Caregiver The "responsible licensed caregiver" is the person who will act on the test results being reported. That will usually be the attending physician but may be another licensed independent practitioner or, in certain situations, a registered nurse who is authorized to modify treatment based on a protocol.

8 59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 Attachment 2 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING CRITICAL VALUE REPORTING A2.1. New Diagnosis of or Unsuspected Acute: A2.1.1. Aortic aneurysm rupture. A2.1.2. Aortic dissection. A2.1.3. Bowel perforation with free air. A2.1.4. Bronchial foreign body. A2.1.5. Ectopic pregnancy. A2.1.6. Leaking aneurysm (cerebral, thoracic, or abdominal). A2.1.7. Life-threatening misplaced tube or line. A2.1.8. Molar pregnancy. A2.1.9. New onset intracranial hemorrhage. A2.1.10. Placental abruption. A2.1.11. Significant solid organ laceration. A2.1.12. Tension pneumothorax. A2.1.13. Torsion (ovarian or testicular).

59MDWI44-155 11 FEBRUARY 2013 9 Attachment 3 ELECTROCARDIOGRAM/HOLTER CRITICAL RESULTS FOR NOTIFICATION A3.1. Adult ECG Critical Results (age >17 years old). A3.1.1. Ventricular tachycardia (sustained for greater than 30 seconds). A3.1.2. Acute myocardial infarction. A3.1.3. Heart rate > 150 or < 40 beats per minute. A3.1.4. Third degree heart block. A3.1.5. Symptomatic sinus pause > 3 seconds. A3.2. Pediatric ECG Critical Results. A3.2.1. Ventricular tachycardia (sustained for greater than 30 seconds). A3.2.2. Acute myocardial infarction. A3.2.3. Heart rate > 180 or < 50 beats per minute. A3.2.4. Third degree heart block. A3.2.5. Symptomatic sinus pause > 3 seconds. A3.3. Holter Monitor Critical Results A3.3.1. Ventricular tachycardia (sustained for greater than 30 seconds). A3.3.2. Heart rate > 180 or < 35 beats per minute. A3.3.3. Third degree heart block. A3.3.4. Symptomatic sinus pause > 3 seconds.