Failure to Timely Report Abnormal Lab Results to Physician
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report abnormal laboratory results to the physician in a timely manner for one resident who was recently admitted with multiple complex diagnoses, including acute kidney failure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and right-sided hemiplegia. Laboratory results obtained on the day of admission showed significantly elevated BUN and creatinine levels, both outside the normal reference ranges. Despite these abnormal findings, there was no documentation in the resident's daily progress notes over the following two days indicating that the results were communicated to the physician. The physician confirmed during an interview that they did not receive a call regarding the resident's lab results and stated that such results should have been reported the same day. The DON also acknowledged that the facility's policy requires immediate notification of abnormal lab results to the physician. Review of the facility's policy confirmed the expectation for prompt reporting of out-of-range laboratory results to the ordering provider.