In many ways, turnaround time (“TAT”) in a laboratory is determined by the resources at our disposal. The more resources you have—and the more appropriately they are used—the more headway you can make in reducing TAT.

Of course, there are limitations on the resources we have available. No one really says, “I don’t care what it costs, just make it fast!” Realistically, we must all balance our financial limits and the demands we have for speed.

Use What is Available

We can still optimise TAT affordably by extracting as much value as possible from the resources we have access to.

Use education to lower TAT

• By ensuring your people have the right training, education and expert support, you can make sure their time and energy is focused on being efficient—rather than searching for answers.
• Education goes beyond formal courses to also making sure staff have the tools they need to properly operate equipment and computer programs, interpret results, fill in for other staff members when the team is short-staffed and make decisions appropriate for their roles.
• If you are unsure what type of education may benefit your staff and also make a difference on your lab’s TAT, ask for their input.

Use technology to lower TAT

• Many laboratories do not use their technology to its full potential, either because they haven’t taken the time to set up the system, or because of the initial hurdles involved with reworking processes and retraining staff. By making time to maximise the capabilities of your current technology, you can free up time in the long run.
• Many computer systems for result tracking can be fine-tuned, so that you can limit the amount of time spent manually reviewing results or implementing checkpoints. Well-calibrated machines and alert systems preserve staff review time for only the most meaningful and critical checkpoints.
• If you are unsure of the capabilities or potential options available to you, collaborate with your information technology team or reach out to the supplier to better understand your equipment’s features.

Use quality control to lower TAT

• By constantly tracking and analysing TAT and other quality metrics (error rates, compliance with laboratory organisation guidelines, or retesting values outside of outer limits, etc.), you can find your lab’s opportunities for improvement. Identify key metrics that you are or should be tracking for general quality control and highlight those that carry the most potential for intervention and TAT reduction.
• By improving all areas of quality in the lab, you reduce the day-to-day time spent correcting mistakes and being confused, which improves TAT.

Keeping a Realistic Perspective on Feasible Projects

No matter how it is analysed and addressed, TAT matters to patient health and to a laboratory’s perceived capabilities. Not every lab needs a complex reorganisation or a professional consultant to help shave a few minutes off of TAT. Instead, many labs can use what they have available to them to explore positive impacts on TAT through education, technology and quality control.

Before you launch a complex or costly mission to drive down TAT, review and optimise the resources you have at your disposal. The impact on TAT may be more than you expect.