Resources

Associates Links

Hong Kong Association of Medical Laboratories Limited – http://www.hkaml.org/
Department of Health – http://www.dh.gov.hk/index.html
The Medical Laboratory Technologists Board – http://www.smp-council.org.hk/mlt/english/index.htm
Health zone – https://www.chp.gov.hk/tc/index.html
World Health Organization – http://www.who.int/en/

Specimen Collection and Turnaround Time (TAT)

Guidelines on completion of Request Form

1. Referring doctors may approach contact hotline (852 2310-5808) for ordering request forms and specimen collection bottles.
2. The patients’ name, age, sex, identification number, requesting tests, specimen types and date/ time of specimen collection should be filled in the request forms.
3. A reference number from ordering clinicians or institution may be used instead of patient name on request forms.
4. Patient’s sex and age is essential for the reference intervals for quantitative tests. Date of birth is preferable. The information will not be included if sex or age is not filled in the request form.
5. The referring laboratory or clinician shall fill in the request form. It identifies the destination of final report.
6. For urgent request, it should be marked clearly on request forms.
7. For improperly filled request form, the test procedures may be postponed or rejected. Please check the criteria in this webpage.

Information for patients consent

1. Informed consent of patient is inferred when the patient presents himself or herself at our laboratory with a request form for laboratory procedures.
2. This laboratory is permitted to carry out all procedures relevant to the test requested on a patient after receiving a request form from the patient.
3. The laboratory is permitted to transfer the patient’s information and specimen to an approved referral laboratory to carry out the requesting test procedures when necessary.
4. The laboratory is permitted to use the tests results for academic presentation. (Patients’s particulars would not be included)

Specimen Collection Supplies

PHC is pleased to supply customers with specimen containers such as culture swabs and blood, urine and stool containers.

Specimen Collection Procedure

1. Order of draw for syringe/vacutainer:
   (1) Sodium Citrate (Light Blue);
   (2) Clotted Blood (Yellow);
   (3) Li Heparin (Green);
   (4) EDTA (Purple);
   (5) Na Fluoride (Grey)
2. Avoid contaminating yourself, materials and surrounding areas.
3. Treat all specimens as potential sources of infection and collect them in closed sterile containers.
4. Collect specimens from areas where suspected organisms are most likely to be found (e.g. spreading edge of lesion) and at a time when their growth is probable (e.g. blood culture when fever is rising).
5. Collect specimen prior to use of antiseptics or antibiotics when possible.
6. Label all specimens clearly and completely.
7. Send specimens to laboratory promptly after collection.

Specimen Handling Guidelines For Clinics

1. Treat all specimens as potential sources of infection and collect them in appropriate and unexpired tubes. Always wear disposable gloves when handling blood specimens
2. The collected specimens must be correctly and clearly labeled including name of patient, date and time of blood drawn, laboratory number, specimen no and tests.
3. The collected specimens should be double bagged properly. One sealed and airtight bag should be used for tubes and the other for request form. The request form must have at least patient name, HKID no, doctor’s referral information, case ID and tests/profile ordered and date and time of specimen collection. No secondary tubes or aliquots are allowed to use for testing except those specified in order to minimize possible sample transferring error and to achieve better specimen identification.

Guidelines on Handling and Recording Specimens

1. Mark the specimen “Drawn Time” and “ Drawn Date” on the Lab form.
2. Provide clear patient personal information on the Lab form and label the specimens. (Including Patient Name, ID, Age, Sex, clinic ID).
3. Place the labeled specimen in the zipper bag and the Lab form in the attached pouch.
4. Specimen should place in 2-8°C before our courier collect it. (Except for semen analysis, cold agglutinin test)

Specimen or Request unfit for processing

• Request form without any one of the following: patient name, patient HKID, case ID and doctor’s referral information,
• Specimen without label or request form,
• Specimen label or request form are unclear or damaged,
• Mismatched specimen with the attached request form,
• Insufficient quantity of specimen for testing,
• Wrong referral,
• Overnight specimen or delay in specimen collection,
• Use of improper container,
• Inadequate specimen in coagulation tube (eg. INR in citrate bottle)
• Sampling site or specimen type not clearly stated (eg. Swab received without sampling site or specified testing.)

Confidentiality policy

1. All Request forms, specimens or printout possessing patient particulars will be carefully protected.
2. The reports shall be handed to specific Doctors/Institutions by laboratory staffs or approved courier.
3. All invalid printout with patient particulars would be shredded before disposal.
4. The laboratory will not transfer patient’s particulars to outside institutions or persons without patient’s consent.
5. Examination results can be faxed to requesting doctor’s designated office but not exposed on the phone
6. Patient’ relatives cannot collect the patient’s report unless an authorisation is received from the requesting doctor or patient.