Using a Systems Engineering Approach to Study Processing Errors in Cytology Testing at a Cancer Clinic

Abstract

Cancer patients are a high-risk population and often undergo strenuous testing. One type of testing is cytology testing, which is less invasive and simpler to attain than a traditional biopsy. However, there can be errors in the cytology testing process that can lead to a loss of results, thus a delay in treatment or retesting. The purpose of this work is to utilize a systems engineering approach to understand cytology testing ordering process and identify where errors may occur. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework was utilized to make visual process maps with the use of SEIPS 101 tooling methods. The use of SEIPS 101 tools showed the relationships between the components of a work system. Handoff points, where information is at risk of being lost, were identified. Future work can look at the implementation of solutions to gather data on the quality improvement measures.