If laboratories remain invisible, we’re missing a valuable opportunity to improve patient outcomes. Healthcare providers forget they need us and medical professionals miss out on taking advantage of quality lab testing. This is ultimately detrimental to our shared goal of giving patients the best care possible.

Engage proactively with clinicians

It’s absolutely integral for laboratory professionals to step out of their comfort zone and form a dialogue with other medical professionals. While this may seem intimidating, it’s important to remember that every member of the healthcare community shares the unified goal of achieving optimum patient care.

Taking the initiative to offer one’s expertise is a great way to kick off a working relationship with licensed surgeons, physicians, nurses, etc. Even though labs typically only get personal calls from doctors when there’s a complaint or a request for testing on a day when it’s not normally run, these seemingly negative conversations can easily transform into great opportunities.

Simply asking “why was this particular test ordered?” or “what results are you expecting to see?” can start bridging the gap between labs and physicians. It helps in deciphering which tests to order and the optimal time to do so, while also cutting the margin of error and limiting the amount of retesting that stems from a simple miscommunication.

Join patient care teams

James H. Nichols, PhD, encourages lab technicians [1] to get more involved by becoming a committed part of the patient care team. Instead of merely performing the ordered tests and calling it a day, show interest by asking to see a patient’s past test results and becoming familiar with a patient’s overall health.

“So many times physicians are struggling with ordering the right tests for the right patient at the right time,” he says. “We can really help the physician by helping to understand why do they need the lab for this particular patient, [providing] a more personal service to that physician.”

Dr Nichols also urges lab professionals to bring in other experts to help weigh in. This allows you to form a thorough diagnostic evaluation for a patient, so when the time comes to deliver test results, you have the faculty to present a qualified interpretation. Not only will this demonstrate lab technicians as assets, but doctors will also become more familiar with the workflow and procedures happening inside the lab.

Get outside the lab

Technicians need to sell themselves and the vital services they offer. Don’t be afraid to take things a step further by physically getting outside the lab to remove the cloak of invisibility from laboratories.

When a healthcare professional inquires about a lab result, capitalise on this contact to make a new “colleague.” For example, if a Solid Organ Transplant (SOTP) team asks why it can’t get a tacrolimus test at any time, you might offer to visit the SOTP team in person to give a quick talk on tacrolimus testing.

The SOTP team benefits from the education, and the lab technician benefits from building a new relationship. It’s important to recognise opportunities as they present themselves, and remain confident that putting yourself out there will have downstream benefits.

The long-term goal in making labs more visible is to have them built and positioned in prime locations, their presence easily accessible to both doctors and patients. More imminently, lab technicians should no longer go unnoticed for their valuable contributions, and structuring strategic partnerships with outside medical professionals is a verified way to make this shift take effect.

If we can step out of the shadows, labs will be able to expedite the process of delivering accurate results and cut down on extraneous costs. Overall, becoming more visible is a strategic move that benefits the entire medical community.

[1] Roche LabLeaders Resource Center

This article is based on a presentation “How to Become a Visible Laboratory” at Roche Efficiency Days (RED) 2016 in Beijing, China.