To investigate the current situations and development requirements of emergency testing among secondary and tertiary hospitals in China.

The data were collected from secondary and tertiary hospitals via online questionnaire across 31 provinces in China from February 1 to March 1, 2021. The questionnaire involves various aspects of emergency testing, including area of emergency laboratory, staffs and equipment configuration, inspection items, Turn-around time (TAT), reagents and consumables management, pre-analysis quality control, laboratory information system, critical values management and biosafety, etc.

A total of 2 187 questionnaires were obtained, and 1 503 valid questionnaires from 755 secondary hospitals and 748 tertiary hospitals were finally analyzed. The research data showed that daily average number of patients visiting emergency department exceeding 300 person-time in 29.41% (220/748) tertiary hospitals, but that number was less than 100 person-time in 76.69% (579/755) secondary hospitals; daily average emergency tests exceeding 5 000 was reported in 24.47% (183/748) tertiary hospitals, and less than 2 000 was reported in 93.51% (706/755) secondary hospitals; the area of emergency laboratory was less than 100 m² in 68.79% (238/346) tertiary hospitals with independent emergency testing laboratory; there were no fixed staffs of emergency testing in 56.02% (842/1 503) hospitals; the biochemical/immunoassay analyzer in 8.65% (130/1 503) hospitals did not have STAT position; one hundred and twenty-six hospitals (8.38%) did not have stock in and stock out record for reagents and consumes materials; the conventional statistical analysis of unqualified specimen was not carried out in 24.62% (370/1 503) hospitals; priority on emergent specimen was not set in 58.62% (881/1 503) hospitals; whole process monitoring function was not equipped in 48.64% (731/1 503) hospitals; there was no conventional communication working mechanism with clinicians on critical value in 7.32% (110/1 503) hospitals; overall, 50.23% (755/1 503) participants did not consider that biosafety risks exist in their emergency testing laboratory.

This survey objectively presents the current situations and future development requirements of emergency testing among secondary and tertiary hospitals in China. The survey also reflects that some important process and concepts need to be improved, and extensive attention should be paid by laboratory and hospital administrator, in the area such as communication with clinician, site construction and staff configuration, administration on the priority of emergency testing, administration on the reagent and consumable materials, laboratory informatization construction, laboratory biosafety, and so on.

Emergency service, hospital; Clinical laboratory techniques; Clinical laboratory information systems; Questionnaires