Approximately 70 % of medical decisions are based on clinical lab results , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . 1 Yet , clinical labs have long been the unsung hero of the healthcare ecosystem even as they have historically provided timely and accurate information needed for diagnosing disease or vital public health data .

This began to change during COVID , which suddenly and urgently gave prominence to healthcare providers ’ reliance on lab . The pandemic also revealed a necessity to align lab , which accounts for roughly 6 % of medsurg supply spend 2 , with a health system ’ s overall supply chain strategy .

When done right , this alignment enables hospitals and health systems to operate more efficiently and effectively — preventing delays in patient care , minimizing lost revenue , and removing extra burdens and stress placed on staff .

As healthcare continues to change and evolve , here are some important considerations for supply chain leaders as they

build and manage their lab supply chain strategies :

Sync Lab with the Rest of the Hospital Supply Chain Like other healthcare settings , clinical labs have well-defined processes and protocols in place .

Even when accounting for certain hazardous or temperature-controlled product storage solutions to address specific lab product attributes , there is not much justification for running a clinical lab supply chain that is not in sync with the rest of the supply chain . Lab can be aligned with any other product purchased in volume — from office supplies to MRO ( maintenance , repair and operations ) and IT .

At minimum , hospitals or health systems should : 1 . Effectively standardize their product list to every degree possible .

2 . Rationalize and consolidate their SKU list to decrease variability .

3 . Deliver the right mix and quantity of products to match their demand profile and available storage .

4 . Make shipments as full and infrequent as possible to minimize disruption .

Have a Plan to Address Potential Backorders Making it somewhat challenging for labs to realize efficiencies , particularly across service lines , are manufacturer requirements specifying which brand of consumables , reagents , chemicals , etc ., should be used with their products and instrumentation without demonstrating significant improvements to outcomes .

When done right , aligning lab with the rest of the supply chain strategy enables health systems to operate more efficiently and effectively .

This makes it difficult when labs face a national backorder issue . While a robust auto-substitution program for med-surg commodities and consumables can be put in place to help end users navigate through supply chain issues and backorders , labs often need to validate and update certain SOPs when looking at a new item .

For this reason , it is essential that health systems and their distributors work together to plan and prepare for possible lab supply chain disruptions — one that relies on upstream data and proactive communication with lab buyers and end users so that lab professionals can focus on what they do best — provide patient care .

Optimize Workflow to Compensate for Space Constraints Also challenging are space constraints in the lab , which are typically teeming with people who are moving products and samples in and out all day , every day , without any cohesive strategy .