Case Study
Leading Molecular Lab Teams with TestDirectly to Provide State-Wide COVID-19 School Surveillance Testing
October 9, 2024
Case Study Summary: This case study highlights a Washington-based molecular diagnostics lab’s collaboration with TestDirectly, utilizing molecular LIS and molecular lab testing software to implement a large-scale, direct-to-consumer COVID-19 surveillance testing program for schools statewide.
The program facilitated efficient pooled testing, where up to 25 individual swabs were processed as a single specimen, aiding the identification of potential outbreaks. TestDirectly streamlined this initiative by providing a centralized platform for sample collection, processing, and reporting, yielding rapid results within 24 hours and supporting school safety efforts during the pandemic.
Key features included patient registration, sample and compliance tracking, automated result delivery, which allowed administrators to access and manage testing data by specific criteria.
This efficient approach, praised for both scalability and reduced human error, underscored the value of molecular LIS in direct-to-consumer lab testing solutions aimed at improving public health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Partnership to Deliver COVID-19 Surveillance Testing at Scale
This case study documents a leading Washington-based molecular diagnostics laboratory that partnered with TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com to support a direct-to-consumer lab testing program which enabled the lab to provide COVID-19 surveillance testing at scale for the state’s department of health and its many school districts. Public health officials lauded the program and the molecular lab software used to support it as critical parts of the state’s efforts to provide a safe environment for in-person learning during the height pandemic.
“We applaud the department of health for working so hard with school administrators throughout the state to safely welcome back students, teachers, and staff for in-person learning,” said the lab’s general manager at the time.
The direct-to-consumer lab testing program invited all of the state’s school districts to opt into the COVID-19 school surveillance testing program where training, supplies, and logistical support were provided at no cost to them. In return, they received the fast and accurate test results needed to ensure a safe learning environment for all.
How the Lab’s School Surveillance Testing Program Worked
The lab first piloted its school surveillance testing program in the spring of 2021 with a school district comprising 30 schools and approximately 25,000 students. The pilot involved pooled testing, where COVID-19 specimens were processed in batches that included up to 25 individual swabs per specimen tube. The tubes were then sent to the lab for analysis after collection.
Parents and guardians were able to choose whether or not their children were tested. In addition, the identities of the tested individuals were kept confidential. Only the school district’s teachers had records of which students were associated with each pooled specimen tube the lab sent to processing.
For those unaware, surveillance testing is a type of direct-to-consumer lab testing used to identify infectious diseases by testing a percentage of a designated population to identify potential outbreaks. This testing method is focused on the group rather than the individual, and it helps organizations like schools gather information to determine the organization’s overall health.
With this form of direct-to-consumer lab testing, multiple specimen samples are taken and then pooled together as one batch sample processed by molecular lab testing software. If the pooled sample tests negative, the entire group is considered negative. If the pooled sample tests positive, individual diagnostic tests are then conducted to determine the source of the virus that was detected in the original pooled sample.
Pooled testing was ultimately chosen for this program as a good way to accomplish a lot of tests economically and efficiently in a school setting.
Learn More: A Scalable Solution for Molecular LIS Direct-to-Consumer Labs
TestDirectly’s Role in the Lab’s School Surveillance Testing Program
The lab teamed with TestDirectly to streamline its collection, testing, and reporting processes, and the benefits of this partnership were evident during the pilot program. Thanks to accelerated TestDirectly results time, the lab processed and reported a weekly average of 5,000 pooled specimen samples with results available in fewer than 24 hours.
The lab’s partnership with TestDirectly began back in the fall of 2020.
“We were able to dramatically increase productivity and the number of specimens we could handle with TestDirectly,” said the lab’s general manager. “It just worked.”
The GM also said the lab heard positive feedback from school administrators enrolled in the school surveillance testing program, especially in terms of onboarding and efficiency. He added that the hardest part was getting teacher buy-in and getting them to change their routines.
“Once we got that, the rest, including the training of the teachers, was simple,” he said.
How the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal Improved School Surveillance Testing
TestDirectly is an all-in-one direct-to-consumer lab testing/molecular lab testing software solution that eliminates the potential for human errors and reporting delays by replacing paper forms and manual processes with an electronic clinical lab workflow.
“The TestDirectly platform covers all aspects of direct-to-consumer lab testing including organizational specimen collection, testing, and reporting,” said LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian, recalling how important this solution was for direct-to-consumer labs. “TestDirectly empowers school districts and fully supports clinical laboratories at every stage of collection, processing, and reporting.”
For the school surveillance direct-to-consumer lab testing program, TestDirectly also provided access control, which allowed administrators to see results by facility, by staff, by students, or any other attribute. Additionally, the platform automatically delivered test results (consumer lab reports) to school administrators and public health agencies.
“We are honored to have been chosen for this important school surveillance testing initiative,” said Avunjian at the time. “TestDirectly is an effective and easy-to-use molecular lab software platform that makes it easier for direct-to-consumer labs to support their local communities and provide organized and efficient testing solutions to prevent outbreaks.”
Learn More: What is the Best LIS for Molecular Testing Labs?
In addition to pooled testing support and other laboratory information system functions, TestDirectly core services include patient and family self-registration and scheduling, capacity management, specimen collection, specimen tracking and processing, laboratory billing support, compliance, report generation, patient results notification (by email and text), automated report delivery, at-home specimen collection, and support for COVID-19 testing and vaccination verification via QR codes.
The TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Solution: Simplified Collection, Testing, and Reporting for Direct-to-Consumer Labs
TestDirectly is a direct-to-consumer lab testing web portal developed by LigoLab Information Systems that integrates with all laboratory information systems (LIS systems, LIS software) and equips medical labs with the molecular LIS tools they need to quickly scale operations and offer organizational direct-to-consumer lab testing programs. To date, TestDirectly and its network of laboratories and collection centers throughout the U.S. have collected, tested, and reported millions of cases while supporting molecular LIS testing solutions for COVID-19, sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections, allergies, genetic screenings, and more.
Industry Insights: Consumerism and How Clinical Labs can Take Advantage of a Growing Trend
