• Dawi Shin, Mona Krouss, Daniel Alaiev, Nessreen Mestari, Joseph Talledo, Milana Zaurova, Komal Chandra, Peter A Manchego, Surafel Tsega, Amit Uppal, Robert T Faillace, Joshua Moskovitz, Kenra Ford, Michael Bouton, and Hyung J Cho.
• Department of Quality and Safety, New York City Health + Hospitals, New York City, New York, USA.
• J Hosp Med. 2022 Dec 1; 17 (12): 961966961-966.

BackgroundReducing unnecessary routine laboratory testing is a Choosing Wisely® recommendation, and new areas of overuse were noted during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo reduce unnecessary repetitive routine laboratory testing for patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic across a large safety net health system.Designs, Settings And ParticipantsThis quality improvement initiative was initiated by the System High-Value Care Council at New York City Health + Hospitals (H + H), the largest public healthcare system in the United States consisting of 11 acute care hospitals.Interventionfour overused laboratory tests in noncritically ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were identified: C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and procalcitonin. A two-pronged electronic health record intervention was implemented consisting of (1) nonintrusive, informational nudge statements placed on selected order sets, and (2) a forcing function of one consecutive day limit on ordering.Main Outcome And MeasuresThe average of excess tests per encounter days (ETPED) for each of four target laboratory testing only in patients with COVID-19.ObjectiveInterdisciplinary System High-Value Care Council identified four overused laboratory tests (inflammatory markers) in noncritically ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19: C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and procalcitonin. Within an 11-hospital safety net health system, a two-pronged electronic health record intervention was implemented consisting of (1) nonintrusive, informational nudge statements placed on selected order sets, and (2) a forcing function of one consecutive day limit on ordering. The preintervention period (March 16, 2020 to January 24, 2021) was compared to the postintervention period (January 25, 2021 to March 22, 2022).ResultsTime series linear regression showed decreases in CRP (-17.9%, p < .05), ferritin (-37.6%, p < .001), and LDH (-30.1%, p < .001). Slope differences were significant (CRP, ferritin, and LDH p < 0.001; procalcitonin p < 0.05). Decreases were observed across weekly averages: CRP (-19%, p < .01), ferritin (-37.9%, p < .001), LDH (-28.7%, p < .001), and procalcitonin (-18.4%, p < .05).ConclusionThis intervention was associated with reduced routine inflammatory marker testing in non-intensive care unit COVID-19 hospitalized patients across 11 hospitals. Variation was high among individual hospitals.© 2022 Society of Hospital Medicine.

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