In order to be able to compare the data collected appropriately, a set of standards were defined by the research team accordingly, providing templates for data recording as far as possible. Requirements for comparable data collection
This, together with a number of requirements needed to compare the data collected, can comply a uniform study on the efficiency of a TLA.Īs such, our objective with this study was to show through routine core lab analysis metrics, the effectiveness of the new TLA DxA 5000 solution from Beckman Coulter in terms of reduction of laboratory TAT and specimen manual handling during clinical laboratory peak times. In each phase, there are critical points for TAT analysis that can be used to examine the efficiency of TLA systems. In the actual laboratory setting, the definition of TAT is usually restricted to intra-laboratory activities, which separate the sample handling steps into different workflow phases:ģ. As such, TAT is now one of the most noticeable badges of laboratory service, and is often used as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of laboratory performance. 6,7 Laboratory services aim to provide a rapid, reliable, and accurate report for clinicians, based on a prompt service of effective communication systems and rapid turnaround of test results, so that the time “vein-to-brain” is effective and patient treatment is not delayed. 5 Currently, the term “therapeutic TAT” is used to describe the interval between when a test is requested to the time a treatment decision is made. 4 But, another important aspect of clinical laboratory quality is timeliness, which is expressed as turnaround time (TAT).
It is well known that Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) play important roles in assuring compliance to current good manufacturing practices (cGMP), safeguarding the consistency and quality of the test results. 2 The latest consolidation of analyzers derived from multiple disciplines onto a single system is able to provide a greater scope of efficiency, with benefits that reach beyond laboratory services: improving quality and accuracy of test results and also delivering a more effective clinical service. What characterizes “Total Laboratory Automation” (TLA) is the ability to integrate all steps of sample processing from pre-analytics to post-analytics with sophisticated robotics and software. 2 The development of flexible laboratory automation systems has attracted tremendous attention in recent years, as biotechnology scientists perform more diverse types of protocols in hospital settings and, move to speed-up the workflow while maintaining the quality and accuracy of the results.
1 Since the mid 1970s, laboratory automation has been the cornerstone of many clinical laboratory services, and over time this field has witnessed major technological transformations. INTRODUCTIONĭiagnostic blood testing is the most commonly performed clinical procedure globally, and impacts most of the medical assessments made in the clinics and in laboratory settings. Our results show that the new DxA 5000 solution can deliver a rapid and consistent turnaround time, together with a new level of comprehensive pre-analytical sample quality detection, reducing the number of manual processing steps and improving laboratory efficiency. We also compared the rate of pre-analytical errors, and the completion time of the last sample of the day in this study, setting to better understand the efficiency and productivity of the new automatic system. Through data collection on specific metrics within the laboratory workflow, we compared and analyzed TATs pre- and post-installation of the DxA 5000. Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Total Laboratory Automation system DxA 5000 with REMISOL Advance by Beckman Coulter (DxA 5000) in terms of laboratory turnaround time (TAT) and sample manual handling.