Consolidated Laboratories

In order to increase the efficiency of lab testing, a lot of hospitals have decided to make a central laboratory facility that will serve as the core facility in which samples are to be examined rather than being sent out to various lab facilities. This new technique is referred to as Consolidated Lab Testing. This product or service aims to lessen the money being used to send out samples along with the time and effort it takes.

Consolidated Lab Testing is designed to hold a wide variety of tests such as the normal routinary hematology tests down to more complex ones like toxicology and molecular genetic tests. This kind of approach does not only benefit the service providers but also the patients as well because the results can now be received within a few hours instead of waiting for a few days. This can only mean that the necessary treatments to be done can be started immediately.

Health systems having a lot of hospitals under its wing can benefit from this kind of approach. Undeniably, having a lot of medical facilities under one core group is more achievable.

Hospitals need to assess the situation whether or not they need to construct a centralized lab testing facility by gathering more info. It is essential to know how many test providers are currently ordering for patients and whether the facility wants to maintain that amount or offer more expansive testing. Once that is settled down, the next thing to plan for is the staffing and resources. There might be a need to add more medical practitioners and health professionals. The next step is to find a physical space that meets your laboratory’s needs. You can either have the lab center inside the hospital’s location or a separate space altogether but the important thing is it is easy to transport the various medical equipment needed, it is easy to store the supplies and test samples, and it is also applicable to have large equipment necessary to process various medical tests.

Alongside hiring commendable staff lab workers, it is also very good to plan for the number of hours the laboratory should be open. There should also be a plan for test sample management and the lab’s maximum capacity in terms of available equipment and personnel.

The lab should have a comprehensive workflow that considers all aspects of testing, from receiving and tracking samples to removing biological waste.

Opening a laboratory means there are extra rules and regulations that needs to be observed as mandated by health agencies.

The lab is working on various tests which may contain a number of harmful biomolecules and dangerous chemicals so there should be a need for an established protocol to handle these things to avoid contamination and outbreak of diseases.

In order to avoid security breaches, an authorized crew of personnel should be kept to check and withdraw the information needed from various lab results.

This useful site is home to information if you wish to establish a centralized lab facility.