Reducing Unnecessary Coagulation Testing In Outpatients (Reduction): A Quality Improvement Project

Introduction: The prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) are often considered ‘routine’ tests in the outpatient setting. They are frequently used as screening tests for bleeding disorders in unselected patients despite sensitivities ranging of 1-2 %. For the most common bleeding disorder, a negative score on a bleeding assessment tool (BAT), in the presence of a negative family history, has a NPV of 1. A recent quality improvement study conducted in the emergency department at our institution resulted in a greater than 2-fold reduction in coagulation test ordering rates and more than $6000 CAN direct cost-savings per month.