A referring doctor has a patient in the chair and is waiting on your report. If it arrives while the patient is still there, the doctor remembers. Turnaround time (TAT) is one of the biggest reasons doctors choose a lab, and keep choosing it.
Most of the delay happens before and after the analyser, in the steps around it.
Key takeaways
- Measure TAT stage by stage before you change anything.
- Analyser interfacing removes retyping, which is the slowest and most error-prone step.
- Send reports digitally the moment they are signed.
1. Measure before you fix
Split TAT into stages: collection, transport, registration, processing, validation and delivery. Time each one. The slowest stage is often a surprise.
2. Label samples correctly at collection
Barcoded labels at the point of collection prevent mix-ups and the time lost sorting them out. They also let you track every sample from collection to report.
3. Plan sample pick-ups from collection centres
Fixed, frequent pick-up times from your collection centres spread the work through the day and stop samples sitting in a box at the counter.
4. Connect your analysers
When analysers send results straight into the report, nobody types the values in again. That removes the slowest manual step and a major source of transcription errors.
5. Make validation easy
Pathologists sign faster when results, reference ranges, previous values and flags sit on one screen, and when they can sign from wherever they are.
6. Deliver reports instantly
Send signed reports on WhatsApp, by email or through a portal as soon as they are ready. Patients stop ringing the front desk, and referring doctors get results without chasing.
7. Bring imaging into the same report
If your diagnostic centre also does radiology, connect the X-ray and imaging equipment so the DICOM images sit with the lab report. The doctor then sees everything in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good turnaround time for routine blood tests?
It depends on the test and how your lab is set up, but many labs aim to report routine tests the same day. Set a target for each test and track how often you meet it.
What is analyser interfacing?
Connecting your lab analysers to the lab information system (LIS) so results go into the patient’s report automatically, with no manual entry.
Get reports out faster
My Lab takes results straight from your analysers and sends reports out the moment they are signed. Try it free for 5 days.
See My Lab