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Useful Planning Tips for Medical Labs: How to Prepare Now for the New Year
November 27, 2024
Planning can be challenging for lab directors and managers accustomed to hectic daily schedules. The hard truth is that there are only a few times in each calendar year when they can afford to take a deep breath, assess where things are, and implement needed improvements and guidelines for the good of the lab. Fortunately, between the holidays and heading into the new year, now is one of those times.
To assist with this endeavor, we’ve compiled a checklist of items to help you and your lab colleagues prepare for the new year and beyond.
Technology Upgrades and Maintenance
Now is a great time to assess and evaluate laboratory software systems. For instance, if it’s been a while since the last laboratory information system software update, your lab is likely missing out on important pathology reporting software technology that could help with laboratory workflow management efficiency, testing accuracy, and data management. If it’s been several months since the last LIS system software upgrade, contact your LIS company to learn about new features and functionality that may be available.
It’s also quite possible that you and others in the C-suite have experienced growing frustration with your current LIS software solution over the last calendar year and are ready to explore other laboratory information system vendors and learn what they can offer. If that’s the case, the time to act is now because contracting and implementing new laboratory information systems typically takes several months. If a change has reached consensus within your ranks thanks to pain points directly affecting business health, now is the time to engage with LIS vendors and evaluate options.
Learn More: What to Look Out for and Avoid When Shopping for a New LIS System
As for other laboratory equipment like analyzers, now is the perfect time to create a maintenance schedule for next year. For lab equipment to remain reliable, routine checks are necessary, as are calibrations to compare measurement values, and regular servicing to prevent errors, meet compliance standards, and extend the lifespan of the instruments.
Patient and Client-Centric Approach
Relationships are important for all businesses, including the medical laboratory industry. With the new year fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to communicate with your lab’s clients and patients. That way you can understand how your lab is viewed through their eyes.
Client and patient retention is important, so setting aside time to engage them for their feedback on lab services will provide valuable insights and lead to continuous improvement.
Quality Control Measures
Accuracy, reliability, and consistency are the hallmarks of all successful medical labs. To ensure the maintenance of high standards going into the new year now is a great time to review your lab’s quality control processes and update protocols if any gaps are identified.
Learn More: A Detailed Look at How Modern Laboratory Information Systems Fully Support Quality Control
Laboratory Workflow Management Optimization
Just how efficient is the lab’s workflow? Are there areas that need improvement but the necessary actions have yet to be taken? Now’s the time to methodically review lab workflow, identify the barriers preventing optimum efficiency and reduced turnaround times, and implement improvements.
Training and Education
Ongoing training keeps lab personnel updated on the latest technologies and methodologies and contributes to employee satisfaction and staff retention. Investing in continuing education in the new year will ensure staff proficiency and adaptability, two important attributes that help your lab maintain its quality service and patient safety.
Regulatory Compliance
How familiar are you and your colleagues with the changing regulatory standards? Now’s the time to take a step back and assess the lab’s level of compliance to ensure that it’s meeting all requirements and operating legally and ethically.
Supply Chain Management
A well-managed supply chain prevents unwanted lab workflow interruptions. If you’ve run into supply chain issues recently, now is the time to consider diversifying with other suppliers to keep the same thing from happening in the new year.
Cybersecurity Measures
A security breach of sensitive patient data will severely damage the lab’s reputation. This simply cannot happen. To protect the lab, take advantage over the next couple of weeks to review the lab’s cybersecurity protocols and conduct a thorough risk assessment.
Learn More: LigoLab’s Enhanced Cybersecurity Solutions Give Customers Added Protection and Peace-of-Mind
Emergency Preparedness
Any disruption within your lab directly threatens the business. To prevent this from happening and ensure continuity of services no matter what, now’s the time to review the lab’s action plan for emergencies and schedule emergency rehearsals. That way all lab personnel will be prepared properly to handle any unforeseen event.
Keep Tabs on Technology and Advancements
As one might expect, new technology to help the medical lab do its job even better is constantly being developed. To keep tabs on what’s out there and what might be a good addition to your lab operation, conducting market research at this time of the year is encouraged.
For laboratory information systems research in particular, now is a great time to see how your lab information system and LIS company stack up against all the other laboratory information system companies.
One easy place to start your research is in industry publications like CAP Today and Medical Laboratory Observer. Each has recently published LIS system guides (each guide is linked below) including editorial content from both LIS system users and the LIS software vendors producing them.
CAP Today: LIS Experts on HL7, AI, Home-Test Results, and More
Medical Laboratory Observer: State of the 2024 LIS Market
It’s also good to speak with your peers to see what they think about particular laboratory software systems and if they’d recommend them for your lab.
Take a Deep Breath
Oh, and one last suggestion. Take a moment to reflect on what you and your colleagues accomplished during the previous 12 months. Medical labs continue to be the unsung heroes of healthcare, performing a wide array of diagnostic tests that directly impact all of us. Your commitment to the profession hasn’t gone unnoticed and we thank you for your ongoing commitment to improving patient outcomes.
