Every lab has its own strengths and weaknesses, but there are some challenges that are common across many laboratories. We asked lab leaders from various countries and backgrounds to tell us what they see as the lab’s biggest challenges today and in the future. They pointed to three key issues: growing resource constraints, ongoing workforce gaps and the many difficulties inherent in managing lab data.

Growing Resource Constraints

With ageing populations and other factors driving rapid growth in healthcare costs around the world, many laboratories are competing for a share of increasingly limited funding. In the face of resource constraints, labs must focus on new contributions, continuous improvement and proactive demonstration of the value we add.

“There’s value in showing others the unique perspective that we have in the laboratory,” says Dr Phillip Chen, Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Sonic Healthcare USA, the American division of Sonic Healthcare Limited, a global healthcare and laboratory services company based in Australia. “In the laboratory, we have the capability of seeing an entire population at one time. There’s a lot of value in that.”

Demonstrating value may require labs to think beyond internal process improvements and focus more broadly about how their services impact patient outcomes. “One of the biggest challenges for the lab will be moving from the lab test to the patient,” argues Dr Antonio Leon, CEO of Huelva University Hospital in Spain. Given the importance of lab results for efficient and effective utilisation of healthcare resources, a focus on patient outcomes could help labs to make the case for improved funding and reimbursement.

Despite budget constraints, however, lab leaders agree that we must never compromise on quality. Patient safety and clinician trust depend upon our strict adherence to established standards. Business is not only about profits, but also about providing critical services that have an impact on real lives.

Ongoing Workforce Gaps

The training and retention of quality employees poses another challenge to many labs. Too frequently, team members choose to move on to other opportunities before having enough time to gain meaningful experience. This lack of experience follows them to their new positions.

Many lab leaders also struggle to find new hires with the necessary knowledge and skills to independently lead tasks in the lab. At the same time, lab managers are often reluctant to invest resources to train employees when there is a chance that the employee will leave within a year. In some countries, such as Indonesia, the overall number of lab technicians is very low, so competition for talent is particularly challenging.¹

One approach to this problem is to change our perspective on training. “I am a believer in empowering people,” says Dr Elizabeth Frank, Director and Founder of Biochem Diagnostics Pvt Ltd, a clinical laboratory in India. “Train [your team] whether they are going to stay with you or not.” She goes on to explain that training has been taken for granted and is usually offered  “on-the-run”. There is no proper, integrated lab medicine training or comprehensive course available, but this is greatly needed in the industry. The ability to pre-empt and recognize that something is wrong (e.g. why a sample is taking so long in histology) needs holistic training.

Another approach is to build the lab around strong systems rather than strong individuals. This ensures that the lab can continue to thrive amid employee turnover. “If [an individual team member leaves] it does not topple my system, because my system is not people-dependent,” added Dr Frank. Streamlined processes and working in tandem with other departments are important to achieve this.

A third approach is to make sure that staff feel comfortable admitting they have made mistakes. This type of culture builds trust and encourages growth among all team members. Employees who know that they can approach their leaders with concerns, and that mistakes are turned into opportunities for learning, may be less likely to leave for another lab when difficulties arise.

Increased training opportunities also impact job satisfaction and may increase staff retention, but more importantly, they will help raise standards of professionalism for the whole industry. “Happy employees will result in happy patients and doctors, and will ultimately improve the performance of our labs and hospitals,” said Dr Grace F. Indradjaja, Managing Director at Siloam Hospitals Group, Indonesia.

Managing Lab Data

As new technologies allow labs to capture and leverage data about patients and healthcare systems, labs often struggle to analyse the data and communicate insights to multiple audiences. 

Leveraging lab data also requires managers to invest in the necessary training and development required to learn new technologies and analytic procedures. “There is still a lot of room for growth in the areas of data management and data analytics,” says Dr Chen. Early adoption and attending conferences may allow labs to stay ahead of the wave of new technologies.

Amid these challenges, lab leaders agree that difficult problems can be opportunities for growth. The most successful ones use the knowledge gained from overcoming challenges to inform future strategic decisions, build stronger systems and encourage positive change in the workplace.