Workflow automation technologies for clinical labs—including pre- and post-analytical systems and connection modules that link them—are gaining traction in Asia Pacific region, but uptake various considerably by country and market segment, according to the latest results from the Asia Pacific Laboratory Benchmarking Survey, an annual survey by Roche Diagnostics that measures the operational effectiveness of clinical labs across the region.

More than half of all labs in developed countries in Asia reported that they are using automation systems, compared to only 28.7% in developing countries. Large labs, defined as those processing over 1000 samples/day, had relatively high rate of adoption compared to smaller labs.

The same was true for government hospitals, which usually have greater resources to invest in automation systems than private hospitals and private commercial labs (we suggest visiting the WHO Global Expenditure Database for further details on the relative ratio of public and private healthcare spending on a per market basis).

In the region’s more economically developed markets, automation systems were installed in the majority of labs surveyed in Taiwan and Japan, but not in South Korea. Preliminary data also suggests that automation systems are widely used in the territory of Hong Kong, particularly in government hospitals (further details on the Hong Kong data are available on request).

While automation systems are fairly common in some developing countries—notably China, Malaysia and Thailand—they are relatively uncommon in most others. Only a handful of the labs surveyed in Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Pakistan reported having them.

Among the labs in both developed and developing countries that are using automation systems, most are using connected track systems, with a relatively small share using standalone systems or a combination of connected track and standalone systems.

The same is true when comparing government hospital labs to those in private hospitals and private commercial labs.

Overall, only 24% of labs surveyed in the region are using automation for aliquoting, although the share is significantly higher in developed countries. Most of the rest are aliquoting manually, but nearly one-fifth of all labs are not performing sample aliquots at all.

By reducing time-consuming manual steps and limiting the number of tasks that require direct intervention from lab staff, automation systems can increase employee productivity and reduce biohazard risks that arise from manual handling of samples. They can also help limit the scope for human error while freeing laboratory staff to deal with more complex and rewarding tasks. Given these benefits, we expect further uptake of automation systems across the Asia Pacific region in coming years.