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Lab leaders are continuously looking to more effectively manage consumption of lab supplies in their given space by consolidating and storing products used for various lab work — chemistry , biology , pathology , etc .— without negatively impacting workflow or causing the mishandling of samples coming in and going out .
Labs should re-engineer lab testing space in a way that optimizes work flow , improves processes and ultimately leads to cost savings . A good way to go about this is to assemble a team of lab professionals and other key stakeholders to identify what needs to be addressed and create an action plan .
It ’ s also worth consulting with a distributor or business partner , such as Medline , who offers expertise in healthcare supply chain optimization , is committed to solving larger supply chain challenges , and can provide insight into how other clinical labs or healthcare systems have overcome similar challenges .
Watch what ' s on the Horizon for Clinical Labs A few more thoughts on what lies ahead for lab in the next several years :
• Technology advancements and further investments in automation will have a significant impact on the future landscape of clinical labs , particularly as staffing shortages ensue and demands for testing increases on pace with an aging population . All of this is resulting in time management issues for lab professionals .
• In pursuing new strategies and processes , hospitals and health systems must make it a priority to raise awareness and invest in the ongoing education of lab professionals . It ’ s crucial not to lose sight of the essential role lab professionals play in lab operations — most importantly , providing a service that leads to high-quality care and positive outcomes .
• Automation and new advanced testing platforms will enable labs to become more efficient and streamline a lot of their processes , and at the same time , lead to earlier detection of disease and better care of the patient population . While customers are asking about AI solutions to help identify and remove non-value-added activities in the lab , the more interesting AI solutions in this setting work with camera-based inputs and electronic IDs in storage areas . Not unlike the rest of the healthcare industry , concerns about patient privacy and security are curbing any advancement of AI in lab supply chain at this time .
• Real estate in health systems and hospitals is becoming too valuable for non-revenue generating , non-value added activities . More health systems are establishing multi-use consolidated service centers designed to provide support operations and functions — something the industry can expect to see more of in five to 10 years .
References 1 . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . ( 2024 , January 18 ) FDA and CMS Statement : Americans Deserve Accurate and Reliable Diagnostic Tests , Wherever They Are Made . CMS . gov . https :// www . cms . gov / newsroom / press-releases / fda-and-cms-statement-americans-deserve-accurate-and-reliable-diagnostic-tests-wherever-they-are #:~: text = - Physicians % 20heavily % 20rely % 20on % 20laboratory , Control % 20and % 20Prevention % 20 ( CDC ). 2 . Internal data
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