Influence of Blood Sampling Service Process Reengineering on Medical Services Supply: Quasi-Experimental Study

BackgroundTertiary hospitals in China are confronted with significant challenges due to limited spatial capacity and workforce constraints, leading to saturated allocation of medical resources and restricted growth in medical service provision. The incorporation of digital health into medical service process reengineering (MSPR) marks a pivotal transformation and restructuring of conventional health service delivery models. Specifically, the application of MSPR to blood sampling services processes reengineering (BSSPR) holds promise for substantially enhancing the efficiency and quality of medical services through streamlining and optimizing these procedures. However, the comprehensive impact of BSSPR has been infrequently quantified in existing research. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the influence of BSSPR on the efficiency and quality of medical services and to elucidate the key informative technological support points underpinning BSSPR. MethodsData were collected from both the new and old laboratory information systems from August 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021. A combination of statistical description, chi-square test, and t test was used to compare check-in time and waiting time of outpatients before and after the implementation of BSSPR. An interrupted time-series design was used to analyze the impact of BSSPR on medical service efficiency and quality, enabling the control of confounding variables, including changes in medical human resources and both long- and short-term temporal trends. ResultsBSSPR had an impact on the efficiency and quality of medical services. Notably, there was a significant increase in the number of patients receiving blood sampling services, with a daily service volume increase of ~150 individuals (P=.04). The average waiting time for patients decreased substantially from 29 (SD 36) to 11 (SD 11) minutes, indicating a marked improvement in patient experience. During the peak period, the number of patients receiving blood sampling services per working hour statistically increased from 9.56 to 16.77 (P