Laboratory professionals are working harder than ever to get test results out as quickly as possible. But no one was prepared for COVID-19, and at the start of the pandemic turnaround times were much longer than hoped for. What challenges did clinical laboratories face early on in the pandemic? What bottlenecks continue to hinder turnaround times? And what issues might we face moving forward? 

On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts Dr. Lotte Mulder and Ms. Kelly Swails are joined by Ms. Diana Kremitske, MHA, MS, MT(ASCP), Vice President of the Diagnostic Medicine Institute at Geisinger Medical Labs, Dr. Nicholas Moore, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, Assistant Director of Clinical Microbiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and Dr. Karissa Culbreath, PhD, D(ABMM), Medical Director of Infectious Diseases at TriCore Reference Laboratories and Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, to discuss laboratory turnaround times during COVID-19. 

The panelists share the challenges they have faced in getting results back to clinicians and patients in a timely manner and describe what they are doing to set stakeholders’ expectations for turnaround times. Listen in to better understand the concerns our panelists have around the upcoming respiratory virus season and learn about the innovative strategies laboratory professionals are using to increase testing capacity, establish testing priorities and optimize turnaround times in the season of coronavirus.

Key Takeaways 

· How panelists have expanded the number of testing platforms, redeployed staff from other areas and added second and third shifts to improve turnaround times
· Challenges around coordinating courier support and securing adequate supplies for specimen collection
· The pre- and post-analytical considerations impacting a lab’s ability to expedite COVID-19 test results
· How the pandemic has opened the door for laboratory advocacy and why it’s important that the lab keeps a seat at the table once the current crisis is over
· Strategies to set expectations around turnaround times for COVID-19
· Concerns around the upcoming respiratory virus season
· Responses to high-profile criticisms of testing turnaround times on social media and what factors are out of the lab’s control

Connect with ASCP 

ASCP
ASCP on Facebook
ASCP on Instagram
ASCP on Twitter 

Connect with Ms. Kremitske

Ms. Kremitske at Geisinger Medical Labs
Ms. Kremitske on LinkedIn

Connect with Dr. Moore

Dr. Moore at Rush University
Dr. Moore on Twitter 

Connect with Dr. Culbreath

Dr. Culbreath at the University of New Mexico
Dr. Culbreath on Twitter 

Connect with Dr. Mulder & Ms. Swails

Dr. Mulder on Twitter
Ms. Swails on Twitter

Resources 

Inside the Lab in the ASCP Store