Critical Lab Value Notification Audit

Audit template for reviewing critical lab value notifications, including communication timeliness, read-back confirmation, and provider acknowledgment.

Audit Context

• Audit date and time recorded
• Specimen or accession number documented
• Ordering location or service identified
• Critical value policy or SOP referenced

Result Identification and Criticality

• Result meets defined critical value criteria
  Verify the reported result is on the laboratory's approved critical value list or meets escalation criteria.
• Critical result verified against source report
• Result timestamp documented
• Critical value category identified

Communication Timeliness

• Time from result verification to notification documented
  Enter elapsed minutes between verification of the critical result and first notification attempt.
• Notification completed within policy timeframe
  Confirm the critical result was communicated within the laboratory or facility-defined timeframe.
• First notification attempt time documented
• Escalation performed when initial contact was unsuccessful

Read-Back and Closed-Loop Communication

• Read-back confirmation documented
  Verify the receiver repeated the patient identifier, test name, and critical result value back to the caller.
• Receiver identity documented
• Receiver role or title documented
• Read-back included patient identifiers and result value

Provider Acknowledgment and Documentation

• Provider acknowledgment documented
  Confirm the responsible provider or designee acknowledged receipt of the critical result.
• Acknowledgment time documented
• Provider name or designee documented
• Documentation complete in LIS/EHR or call log
  Verify the record contains the result, notification time, receiver, read-back, acknowledgment, and any escalation steps.