The Cost of Pre-Analytical Errors in INR Testing at a Tertiary-Care Hospital Laboratory: Potential for Significant Cost Savings

Background: Preanalytical errors account for most laboratory errors. Although the frequencies of preanalytical errors are well characterized in the literature, little is known regarding the costs of these errors to the laboratory.

Objective: To analyze costs associated with preanalytical errors associated with the international normalized ratio (INR) test.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of INR requests associated with preanalytical error codes from January 2009 through September 2013. Preanalytical error types were those related to order entry (no specimen collected) and those unrelated to order entry (insufficient specimen quantity or specimen-integrity concerns). We calculated the cost of analysis of a specimen and the cost of investigating errors.

Results: During the study period, there were 557,411 INR requests, 13.1% of which were associated with a preanalytical error code. The total annual cost of INR testing was USD $379,222.50. Investigation and reporting of preanalytical errors not related to order entry represented 10.5% of our annual INR testing budget (USD $39,939.00).

Conclusions: Minimizing preanalytical errors has the potential to result in significant cost savings.