Practical Architecture of Hepatitis B Screening Events:
California Pacific Medical Center/Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation
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How many personnel are required to staff each screening event?
- At least 1 person to assist with registration
- At least 2 phlebotomists
- At least 1 technician to centrifuge samples
- The Program coordinator
- (A physician)
How do you calculate the number of staff needed?
At a minimum, we always deploy 1-2 people to assist with registration, and 2 phlebotomists. Each phlebotomist can draw blood from up to 8 people per hour. The number of staff required is also based on the number of hours we are scheduled to be at each screening event. Thus, if we are screening an anticipated target audience of about 100 people over a 3-hour period, we increase the number of staff required to perform each function accordingly: to 3-4 phlebotomists, 3-4 for registration and at least 2 individuals for centrifuging. The coordinator or physician may assume centrifuging duties. Because queues deter people from being screened we try hard to avoid or minimize them.
What does each staff member do?
- Registration – Assure people on the importance of screening, pass out educational brochures, assist with accurate completion of registration and laboratory test forms and accurate labeling of specimen tubes.
- Phlebotomist – Verification that the person’s name on each specimen tube and on the respective laboratory form tally, and are correct, before drawing the specimen.
- Program coordinator – ensures efficient operation, brings equipment, troubleshoots, answers questions and generally educates about hepatitis B and our program.
What requisite equipment is needed at each site?
- Registration forms
- Laboratory requisition forms
- ID stickers
- Pens & clipboards
- Hand sanitizer
- Latex gloves
- Alcohol wipes
- Tourniquets
- Straight & butterfly needles
- Specimen tubes
- Tube rack
- Centrifuge(s) x1-2.
- Gauze
- Tape
- Bandages
- Needle safety holders
- Sharps safety containers
- Plastic bins
What is the sequence of events whereby we obtain and inform people of their test results?
- San Francisco Department of Public Health and California Pacific Medical Center/Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation-approved registration forms are scanned and filed securely.
- Registrant details are manually entered by the Program coordinator into a confidential, dedicated electronic database (R-OTTR).
- Quest laboratories collect and process each specimen and automatically transmit the results to our electronic database.
- Results are stratified based on patterns of HBV serology.
- Individual letters are generated within a multilingual template based on the test results and sent to the corresponding registrant.
- HBsAg-positive cases: In addition to sending a letter we attempt to contact directly via phone call, and indirectly via primary care provider, when applicable.
- Seronegative individuals: A free vaccination series is offered.
- Immune individuals are sent a letter of congratulation.