Abstract: Objective To shorten the turn-around time （TAT） of human chorionic gonadotropin （HCG） test and to improve laboratory efficiency and patient experience by integrating quality control circle activities in hospital laboratory settings. Methods The quality control circle management tool was adopted. A multidisciplinary team was established and a series of standardized steps including status survey, target setting, cause analysis, countermeasure implementation, and effect verification were implemented to systematically optimize the HCG testing workflow on chemistry-immunoassay system. Results After implementation, the average TAT of HCG test was reduced from（262±89.6） min to （130±4.0） min （P<0.05）, with a decrease of 50.4%. The TAT of early pregnancy outpatient visit decreased from 354 min to 174 min, and that of family planning department decreased from 221 min to 133 min. The reagent loss rate decreased from 8% to 7%. Conclusion Through pre-dilution workflow optimization and software automation, HCG test TAT is significantly shortened, accompanied by notable enhancements in both quality and cost control, providing a replicable paradigm for laboratory process optimization.

Key words: Human chorionic gonadotropin, Quality control circle, Chemistry-immunoassay system, Turn-around time of testing, Cost control