Background/Significance: Missed or delayed diagnostics can have an impact on a patient's care and can have medical-legal consequences for health organizations and personnel alike (Callen et al., 2012). Kwan et al. (2019) report that deficient laboratory testing processes can be attributed to safety concerns for patients. According to the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (2022c), in quality standard 4, section D, an audit measure identifies the need for tracking systems for diagnostic studies. Organizations, healthcare personnel, and patients can be negatively affected without a process for care coordination with diagnostic testing. Methods: A literature search was conducted for articles published from 1986 to 2022 utilizing CINAHL, PubMed, and Google. After the literature review, articles had themes related to electronic medical records versus paper, standardization of processes, policies for diagnostic testing, and diagnostic testing processes. A valuable interventional guide was the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research's Improving Your Laboratory Testing Process guideline that assisted with project design. Utilizing the Plan, Do, Study, Act model, a diagnostic testing process was designed and implemented for improved care coordination with diagnostic testing in a free clinic setting. Conclusion: A lack of diagnostic testing processes can lead to negative outcomes for patients and healthcare personnel. Using a literature review and adaptations of a well-designed guideline, a proposed process was derived in the unique setting of a free clinic. With the successful implementation of a diagnostic testing process, measurements of staff satisfaction, review of documentation, and proper documentation placement will be conducted. After the successful implementation of the diagnostic testing process, a policy will be created.
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