Date of Conferral
3-3-2025
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Irene Williams
Abstract
Hospital administrators and financial decision-makers face ongoing challenges in maintaining positive operating margins, which are critical for sustaining healthcare services and delivering high-quality patient care. Errors in clinical laboratory testing—preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical—can lead to inefficiencies, increased costs, and reduced financial performance. Grounded in total quality management, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between preanalytical errors, analytical errors, and postanalytical errors and hospital operating margin. The participants were clinical laboratory leaders who completed an anonymous survey using Survey Monkey as a data collection tool. The sample size for this study included 77 participants. The results of the multiple linear regression showed a statistically significant relationship, F(3, 73) = 13.438, p < .001, R2 = .356. In the final model, one predictor was statistically significant, with the preanalytical error demonstrating a contribution (t = 3.663, p = <.001, ß = .379). A key recommendation is for healthcare leaders to adopt TQM principles that minimizes errors in the preanalytical phase of testing and educating all stakeholders to implement better protocols aimed at error prevention. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve hospital sustainability, which can lead to greater financial stability, reduced healthcare costs, and enhanced patient care, ultimately fostering better public health outcomes and stronger community well-being.
Recommended Citation
Moore, Rachele, "Preanalytical Errors, Analytical Errors, and Postanalytical Errors and the Financial Performance of Hospitals" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17447.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17447
