Hospital Acquired ConditionRePORT-BCNCT06359587
Re-Purposing the Ordering of Routine Laboratory Tests in Hospitals in British Columbia
A study testing Laboratory test overuse (LTO) Bundle in people with Hospital Acquired Condition, run by University of British Columbia at 4 sites in Canada.
Trial summary
The goal of this stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial is to assess the impact of a laboratory test overuse intervention bundle on laboratory test utilization in 6 health authorities (16 hospitals) in British Columbia. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Hospital Acquired Condition
- What is being tested?
- Laboratory test overuse (LTO) Bundle
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 700,000 participants
- Where
- 4 sitesCanada
- Study dates
- 6 May 2024to 16 Nov 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients: The study will include all adult general medical patients that are admitted to the selected hospital during the study period under general internal medicine or family medicine (hospitalist) provider groups.
- Attending Physicians: All physicians who provide patient care in the general internal medicine or family medicine (hospitalist) provider groups in selected hospitals
- Learners and allied health staff (Medical Students/Resident physicians/Clinical Assistants/ Nurse Practitioners, etc.): All those who help take care of patients and can order labs during the study period in the under general internal medicine or family medicine (hospitalist) provider groups in selected hospitals The date range for both groups will extend from May 2024 until study completion in October 2026.
Who cannot join
- Patients: all patients in specialized medical units (e.g., coronary care, dialysis units, bone marrow transplants units etc.), in critical care, pediatric, obstetrical, surgical, and psychiatric units.
- Patients and Health Care Providers (HCPs) who are not in the internal medicine or family medicine groups
Trial locations and contacts
4 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada4 sites, 4 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Hospital of Northern British Columbia
Prince George, British Columbia, V2M 1S2
Anurag Singh
- Recruiting
Mount St. Joseph's Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5T3N4
Alyssa Shariff
- Recruiting
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z1N1
Penny Tam
- Recruiting
St. Paul's Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 1Y6
Anshula Ambasta
About this study
Official title: Re-Purposing the Ordering of Routine Laboratory Testing in Hospitalized Medical Patients in British Columbia
The goal of this stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial is to assess the impact of a laboratory test overuse intervention bundle on laboratory test utilization in 6 health authorities (16 hospitals) in British Columbia. The main question it aims to answer is if the intervention bundle, inclusive of healthcare provider and patient engagement tools, can be effectively implemented for hospitalized medical inpatients in 16 hospitals across BC and reduce laboratory test over-use. Researchers will compare hospital clusters that receive the intervention at different (sequential) time points to see if there are significant changes in the measured outcomes after the intervention.
Read the detailed description
This study aims to reduce unnecessary laboratory test use in hospitals using a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial design. Over-use of laboratory testing in hospitals leads to patient discomfort, disruption of sleep patterns, and is associated with hospital-acquired anemia. The specific tests that the investigators focus on are complete blood count, electrolytes, creatinine, urea, international normalized ratio and partial thromboplastin time. After the initial control period, the investigators will begin with a pilot-phase for a feasibility assessment of the intervention tools. The intervention bundle will then be rolled out sequentially, one cluster (each cluster containing 2-3 hospitals) at a time in 12-week implementation steps.
The intervention bundle will contain tools to promote education around appropriate use of laboratory testing in hospitals (using an online module, clinical decision support tool), will share data on laboratory test utilization patterns locally, and include patient engagement materials (infographic and video).
Local champions in hospitals will form multidisciplinary implementation teams to facilitate adaptation and delivery of implementation tools within local context. A pragmatic stepped-wedge design will be used to implement the intervention bundle in 16 hospitals grouped into 8 clusters.
The first 4 weeks of implementation will be a pre-intervention period, trialing and adapting tools to the local context. Readiness assessments and workflow observations will be conducted to understand organizational readiness for implementation. Clusters will enter the intervention period during the latter 8 weeks of the implementation period where intervention tools will be deployed.
Data will be collected for at least 24 weeks post-implementation, evaluating the impact of tools without dedicated personnel support. Access to educational resources will continue, and laboratory utilization reports will be sent.
- Conditions
- Hospital Acquired Condition
- Being tested
- Laboratory test overuse (LTO) Bundle
- Medical subject headings
- Iatrogenic Disease
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Laboratory test overuse (LTO) BundleBehavioural
Key Components of the LTO Bundle:
Educational materials, including an online module, clinical decision support tool, provision of lab utilization (Audit and Feedback) reports for healthcare providers.
Patient engagement tools, such as videos and educational infographics. System level implementation tools adapted to the local context, including EMR-based tools and order set changes, etc.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Arm (Intervention Bundle Implementation) | Experimental | This arm involves the time periods of the hospital units where the LTO bundle, including healthcare provider and patient engagement tools, is actively implemented. Receives: Behavioral: Laboratory test overuse (LTO) Bundle |
| Control Arm (No LTO Bundle Implementation) | No intervention | This arm represents the time period of hospital units where the LTO bundle is not implemented. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in number of target laboratory tests ordered per patient-day with LTO bundle compared to control period without LTO bundle
The change in the number of the six target laboratory tests with the LTO bundle
Measured: 3 years
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in number of total laboratory tests ordered per patient-day with the LTO bundle
Change in the number of all common laboratory tests ordered during the study with the LTO bundle
Measured: 3 years
Rate of hospital re-admissions and mortality
Rate of hospital re-admission and mortality rates over study period with LTO intervention bundle
Measured: 3 years
Change in costs associated with routine laboratory testing
Change in costs associated with routine laboratory testing
Measured: 3 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Apr 2024
- Study start6 May 2024
- Primary completion16 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion16 Nov 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Hospital Acquired ConditionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of British ColumbiaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Model description
- Intervention Arm (Intervention Bundle Implementation): This arm involves the time periods where hospital units are actively receiving the intervention bundle, including healthcare provider (HCP) and patient engagement tools. Control Arm (No Intervention Bundle Implementation): This arm represents the time periods when the hospital units do not receive the intervention bundle. This time period is the control period. Each hospital will contribute to intervention and control period data.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 700,000 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of British Columbia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Providence Health & Services, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Interior Health, Northern Hospital, Australia, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Island Health
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Anshula Ambasta, University of British Columbia
- Investigators
- Anshula Ambasta, Principal investigator, University of British Columbia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06359587
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H22-03005
- Acronym
- RePORT-BC
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Apr 2024
- Last updated
- 7 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Ambasta A, Holroyd-Leduc JM, Pokharel S, Mathura P, Shih AW, Stelfox HT, Ma I, Harrison M, Manns B, Faris P, Williamson T, Shukalek C, Santana M, Omodon O, McCaughey D, Kassam N, Naugler C. Re-Purposing the Ordering of Routine Laboratory Tests in Hospitalized Medical Patients (RePORT): protocol for a multicenter stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to evaluate the impact of a multicomponent intervention bundle to reduce laboratory test over-utilization. Implement Sci. 2024 Jul 2;19(1):45. doi: 10.1186/s13012-024-01376-6.
PubMed 38956637
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Re-Purposing the Ordering of Routine Laboratory Testing in Hospitalized Medical Patients in British Columbia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06359587
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RePORT-BC / H22-03005
- Conditions
- Hospital Acquired Condition
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 700,000 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of British ColumbiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Providence Health & Services, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Interior Health, Northern Hospital, Australia, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Island Health
- Study start
- 6 May 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 16 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 11 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial is to assess the impact of a laboratory test overuse intervention bundle on laboratory test utilization in 6 health authorities (16 hospitals) in British Columbia. The main question it aims to answer is if the intervention bundle, inclusive of healthcare provider and patient engagement tools, can be effectively implemented for hospitalized medical inpatients in 16 hospitals across BC and reduce laboratory test over-use. Researchers will compare hospital clusters that receive the intervention at different (sequential) time points to see if there are significant changes in the measured outcomes after the intervention.
Detailed description
This study aims to reduce unnecessary laboratory test use in hospitals using a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial design. Over-use of laboratory testing in hospitals leads to patient discomfort, disruption of sleep patterns, and is associated with hospital-acquired anemia. The specific tests that the investigators focus on are complete blood count, electrolytes, creatinine, urea, international normalized ratio and partial thromboplastin time. After the initial control period, the investigators will begin with a pilot-phase for a feasibility assessment of the intervention tools. The intervention bundle will then be rolled out sequentially, one cluster (each cluster containing 2-3 hospitals) at a time in 12-week implementation steps.
The intervention bundle will contain tools to promote education around appropriate use of laboratory testing in hospitals (using an online module, clinical decision support tool), will share data on laboratory test utilization patterns locally, and include patient engagement materials (infographic and video).
Local champions in hospitals will form multidisciplinary implementation teams to facilitate adaptation and delivery of implementation tools within local context. A pragmatic stepped-wedge design will be used to implement the intervention bundle in 16 hospitals grouped into 8 clusters.
The first 4 weeks of implementation will be a pre-intervention period, trialing and adapting tools to the local context. Readiness assessments and workflow observations will be conducted to understand organizational readiness for implementation. Clusters will enter the intervention period during the latter 8 weeks of the implementation period where intervention tools will be deployed.
Data will be collected for at least 24 weeks post-implementation, evaluating the impact of tools without dedicated personnel support. Access to educational resources will continue, and laboratory utilization reports will be sent.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Intervention Arm (Intervention Bundle Implementation): This arm involves the time periods where hospital units are actively receiving the intervention bundle, including healthcare provider (HCP) and patient engagement tools. Control Arm (No Intervention Bundle Implementation): This arm represents the time periods when the hospital units do not receive the intervention bundle. This time period is the control period. Each hospital will contribute to intervention and control period data.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Arm (Intervention Bundle Implementation) | Experimental | Behavioral: Laboratory test overuse (LTO) BundleThis arm involves the time periods of the hospital units where the LTO bundle, including healthcare provider and patient engagement tools, is actively implemented. |
| Control Arm (No LTO Bundle Implementation) | No intervention | –This arm represents the time period of hospital units where the LTO bundle is not implemented. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Patients: The study will include all adult general medical patients that are admitted to the selected hospital during the study period under general internal medicine or family medicine (hospitalist) provider groups.
- Attending Physicians: All physicians who provide patient care in the general internal medicine or family medicine (hospitalist) provider groups in selected hospitals
- Learners and allied health staff (Medical Students/Resident physicians/Clinical Assistants/ Nurse Practitioners, etc.): All those who help take care of patients and can order labs during the study period in the under general internal medicine or family medicine (hospitalist) provider groups in selected hospitals The date range for both groups will extend from May 2024 until study completion in October 2026.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Patients: all patients in specialized medical units (e.g., coronary care, dialysis units, bone marrow transplants units etc.), in critical care, pediatric, obstetrical, surgical, and psychiatric units.
- Patients and Health Care Providers (HCPs) who are not in the internal medicine or family medicine groups
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory test overuse (LTO) BundleKey Components of the LTO Bundle: Educational materials, including an online module, clinical decision support tool, provision of lab utilization (Audit and Feedback) reports for healthcare providers. Patient engagement tools, such as videos and educational infographics. System level implementation tools adapted to the local context, including EMR-based tools and order set changes, etc. | Behavioural | Intervention Arm (Intervention Bundle Implementation) |
Primary outcome
Change in number of target laboratory tests ordered per patient-day with LTO bundle compared to control period without LTO bundle
Time frame: 3 years
The change in the number of the six target laboratory tests with the LTO bundle
3 secondary outcomes
Change in number of total laboratory tests ordered per patient-day with the LTO bundle
Time frame: 3 years
Rate of hospital re-admissions and mortality
Time frame: 3 years
Change in costs associated with routine laboratory testing
Time frame: 3 years
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 May 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 38956637Ambasta A, Holroyd-Leduc JM, Pokharel S, Mathura P, Shih AW, Stelfox HT, Ma I, Harrison M, Manns B, Faris P, Williamson T, Shukalek C, Santana M, Omodon O, McCaughey D, Kassam N, Naugler C. Re-Purposing the Ordering of Routine Laboratory Tests in Hospitalized Medical Patients (RePORT): protocol for a multicenter stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to evaluate the impact of a multicomponent intervention bundle to reduce laboratory test over-utilization. Implement Sci. 2024 Jul 2;19(1):45. doi: 10.1186/s13012-024-01376-6.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Anshula Ambasta principal investigator
University of British Columbia
4 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Laboratory test overuse (LTO) Bundle in people with Hospital Acquired Condition, run by University of British Columbia at 4 sites in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 4 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Anshula Ambasta (4036184586, anshula.ambasta@ubc.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in number of target laboratory tests ordered per patient-day with LTO bundle compared to control period without LTO bundle (time frame: 3 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06359587, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 May 2026.