ArticleChallenges Faced by Laboratories Today
Clinical laboratories are confronted with the formidable challenge of managing the increasing demand for laboratory services. Medical advances drive the need for clinical laboratories to perform new and sophisticated diagnostic tests. Clinicians increasingly depend on extensive test panels and reflex testing algorithms to accurately diagnose patients, adding complexity and workload to laboratory operations. Meanwhile, the pressure to improve patient care by reducing result turnaround time is always present.
Staffing shortages in labs have the potential to impact the timely delivery of test results, which could lead to significant delays in patient care. New technicians require substantial training to develop proficiency, which places additional burdens on existing lab technologists and testing workflows. Moreover, the diverse and complex array of test methods utilized by clinical labs can further complicate training processes and lead to operational inefficiencies. Finally, staffing limitations come in the face of budget constraints.
Evaluation of Diagnostic Testing with a Focus on Patient Care
Clinicians depend on laboratories to deliver comprehensive, accurate, and timely diagnostic test results. These results allow clinicians to make informed decisions that guide patient treatments and improve outcomes. Many considerations are involved when evaluating diagnostic testing requirements, and clinical laboratories must decide between expanding in-house testing or outsourcing to reference labs.
Send-out Testing
Because of the significant challenges in meeting testing demands due to limited staffing resources, many laboratories have opted to outsource testing to reference labs. Send-out testing offers swift implementation and low start-up costs. However, send-out testing can be very expensive on a cost-per-test basis and may necessitate additional handling and administration tasks for sample processing, test orders, and result management. Moreover, relying on reference labs for testing may lead to consequential delays in result turnaround time, potentially affecting the ability for clinicians to promptly diagnose patients and begin treatments.
In-house Testing
There are numerous benefits to laboratories expanding their in-house testing to meet the evolving demands of clinical diagnostics. Advanced automation systems and consolidation of testing methods can play an important role in streamlining testing operations and reducing costs to ultimately improve patient care.
Enhance Productivity
Clinical laboratories have several options to increase their in-house testing capabilities and keep up with growing healthcare demands. One solution is to use analyzers with advanced technologies and automation features, such as multiplexing and integration with Total Lab Automation (TLA). This can effectively expand the laboratory's high-throughput testing capacity while minimizing additional workloads for laboratory staff.
To optimize workflow efficiencies further, laboratories can consolidate multiple existing test methods onto automated analyzers. Inefficient test methods strain laboratory resources and hamper workflow. By consolidating, laboratories produce more test results quickly while decreasing demands on their limited resources, thus enhancing laboratory productivity.
Improve Patient Care
Clinical laboratories play a crucial role in meeting the evolving demands of patient healthcare by delivering crucial test results accurately and expeditiously. Expanding the clinical laboratory’s test menu significantly improves result turnaround time, ultimately enhancing patient care.
Automation is a powerful solution that allows clinical laboratories to expand testing while minimizing the impact on resources. The most advanced analyzers, including analyzers that utilize multiplex technology, offer remarkably fast result turnaround times and further reduce staffing demands. Other advances, such as integrated QC technology, perform real-time assay monitoring to ensure the highest quality patient results.
Provide Cost-Effective Solution
The cost of send out testing can be very high, particularly for specialty testing. In-house testing generally offers a more cost-effective solution. However, labs will want to consider the potential impact that handling and managing additional test methods will have on staffing.
Automating in-house testing can help streamline test processes and reduce demands on limited staffing resources. Eliminating manual processes also minimizes the risk of costly operator errors.2 More advanced automation features can help detect potential testing errors in real time to further mitigate the need for expensive retesting.
Clinical laboratories may maximize the cost-savings of automation by expanding in-house testing and consolidating existing inefficient test methods. Eliminating multiple methods eases staff demands and optimizes labor utilization. Expanding analyzer utilization enables economies of scale and provides an opportunity for laboratories to negotiate reduced costs per test.
Addressing the Challenge of Increased Testing Demands
The demand for laboratory testing continues to grow, and laboratories are running more tests to meet the needs of clinicians. While send-out testing is one option for addressing the countless challenges, laboratories may also discover the benefits of expanding their in-house testing processes through advanced automation systems and consolidating test methods. Implementing automation may eliminate manual processes and reduce errors, while consolidation improves workflow efficiencies and reduces analyzer management demands on laboratory staff.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). Strengthening Clinical Labs. https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dls/strengthening-clinical-labs.html, accessed July 13, 2023.
- Reithel J (2021). Minimizing laboratory errors with automation. https://www.mlo-online.com/continuing-education/article/21230466/minimizing-laboratory-errors-with-automation, accessed August 15, 2023.
