To err is human. But when it comes to medicine, human error costs lives, about 98,000 each year to be precise. Accidental exposures to pathogens in a lab setting could result in major disease outbreaks or even pandemics, depending on the nature of the pathogen at hand. A case in point is the highly pathogenic and airborne-transmissible avian influenza virus, that was accidentally released from the Ron Fouchier labs in the Netherlands and Yoshihiro Kawaoka labs in Madison Wisconsin. There are also theories that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the pathogen responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, originated from a laboratory in China. With such considerations in mind, prudence demands that every effort be made to prevent errors in clinical practice which includes errors that may occur in clinical diagnostic laboratories. 

Errors in clinical laboratories can occur at different stages along the workflow; from ordering the test to interpreting, reporting, and acting on the results. Errors in the lab can be preanalytical, analytical, or post-analytical, with each stage increasing the likelihood of introducing errors. This blog provides helpful tips on how to reduce human error in a diagnostic testing lab. 

1. Organize Your Lab

This is a basic but pivotal strategy to minimize errors in a fast-paced laboratory setting. Samples, reagents, test requisitions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and all lab inventory should be kept nearby for quick access and should be organized and annotated correctly. Lab processes should be well documented and organized into workflows that all staff should be familiar with. Lack of organization causes mix-ups that can lead to major errors in the lab. A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) offers a seamless solution for effectively managing records, samples, standard operating procedures (SOPs), test requests, and laboratory inventory.

2. Systematically Manage Samples

Create a simple yet effective procedure for collecting ordered samples and ensure follow through by all staff. This should include who collects the sample, how much should be collected, instruments to be used, transportation and storage, and antiseptic protocols to be followed. A LIMS can help you seamlessly manage samples and associated metadata. 

3. Use Barcodes

Handwritten labels can be misread and they may fade out with time. They are also prone to transcription errors which can have downstream effects. Barcodes, on the other hand, are less prone to errors or manipulation. They provide an efficient and effective way to keep track of samples throughout their entire lifecycle in the laboratory. A clinical diagnostics LIMS system can help you generate unique barcodes for samples and print labels, assuring complete sample traceability.

4. Calibrate Instruments

The importance of calibration cannot be overemphasized. You could be following the right procedures to analyze lab samples but if your instruments are not properly calibrated then all your good efforts will end in futility. Calibration compares the measurement of an instrument against a benchmark. This helps standardize measurements and guarantees the accuracy of results. Make it a practice to routinely calibrate your lab equipment to minimize errors. By utilizing a clinical diagnostics LIMS system, you can effectively manage the calibration history of instruments, schedule calibration activities, and proactively notify lab managers and staff before the designated calibration dates. This system guarantees that no scheduled calibration goes overlooked or neglected.

5. Minimize Distraction in the Lab

Distraction in the lab comes in different forms. This can range from loud music, noise, or even how other employees are dressed. The distracted lab staff is more prone to making errors than the focused staff. Ensuring that the lab environment is always conducive to work will go a long way in minimizing human error. 

6. Manage Employee Competence

It is essential to ensure that laboratory personnel is not only trained in specific procedures but also demonstrate proven competence before being granted permission to carry them out.  It is not enough that staff has credentials and is licensed to perform a task. The lab manager should ensure that staff are only assigned duties that they are competent in. Before competence has been verified, lab staff should be supervised and mentored. The implementation of a clinical diagnostics LIMS system empowers lab managers to efficiently oversee staff training and competence, ensuring that analysis tasks are exclusively assigned to capable personnel.

7. Automate Laboratory Workflows 

Automation is the surefire way to eliminate human errors in a lab. A clinical diagnostics LIMS system allows labs to switch from manual and electronic spreadsheets to an automated system that takes over lab processes and workflows. A clinical diagnostics LIMS system supports end-to-end sample tracking and data management and encompasses hardware and software integration. In this way, LIMS supports preanalytical, analytical, and post-analytical testing processes. A clinical diagnostics LIMS system also supports SOP management, quality control, and compliance protocols not only to eliminate errors but also to improve the general productivity of the laboratory.

Conclusion

Modern laboratories have put in place several measures to minimize human errors in the lab that may have adverse ramifications. This includes having SOPs, policies, and procedures to direct activities that take place in the lab. Clinical labs are also held accountable by several regulatory frameworks, such as the 21 CFR and ISO standards. Laboratory staff are also trained to ensure that they have the prerequisite skills and competencies to perform their roles. However, human error in the laboratory is still rife just because “man is to error.” Thankfully, automation can easily eliminate human error significantly. A LIMS provides a unique opportunity for easy and swift automation. With a cloud-hosted clinical diagnostics LIMS, a lab can easily transition from a manual paper-based system that is error-prone to an automated and efficient system that can be accessed from anywhere using any internet-ready device.

Clinical diagnostics teams play an important role in providing quality patient care. Such teams are diverse and attract the best of skills and talent; which is needed to ensure the success of the entire medical team. But unlike other medical teams, the clinical diagnostics team does most of their work behind the scenes. With the fast-paced nature of the medical world, it’s usually difficult to put a face behind the names on the laboratory sheets. This blog discusses how clinical diagnostics teams can increase their visibility and why this is important in the first place.

Be Proactive in Seeking Out Connections With Clinicians

Most clinical diagnostic teams are disjointed from medical teams. In other words, what goes on in the laboratory is not directly associated with the patients in the wards or outpatient clinics. Laboratories should not work in silos. Rather, they should work coherently with clinicians for assuring patient safety and eliminating redundant tests. It’s absolutely important for the clinical diagnostics teams to have constant dialogue with clinicians or providers about tests ordered and biospecimens requested for testing, as intimidating as that may appear.

Take for example, the case of a physician requesting for multiple tests that may appear unnecessary or contradictory to laboratory staff. It’s appropriate to engage the physician and seek to understand why those tests are necessary. This may easily translate to a great opportunity for both laboratory staff and medical professionals, bridging the gap between laboratory professionals and physicians. In case a test is ordered on a day when such a test is not usually run, you can use the opportunity to build rapport when explaining why this is the case and offering helpful alternatives. In other words, when opportunities arise, grab them by the horn!

Getting Involved in Patient Care Teams

As a laboratory staff, it may be impractical to get involved in each and every patient case. However, you can always make exceptions for cases that you find to be out of the norm. Besides performing the test that has been ordered, seek to know the symptoms of the patient and the differential diagnosis. Some cases may require a series of tests before a diagnosis is arrived at; while for a few cases, the clinician may not even find an exact diagnosis. Having the clinical diagnostics team on patient care teams will allow them to showcase their expertise and enable clinicians to appreciate the important role played by them. This will also help clinicians understand the procedures and workflows in the laboratory, and this will improve the collaboration between the clinicians and diagnostics teams.

Broadcast Your Efforts and Successes

Clinical teams cannot exist without a competent diagnostics team. Every single patient who walks into a healthcare facility is likely to require a laboratory test or a battery of tests before they can finally have a diagnosis so that treatment can be initiated. Errors may occur at any stage of the testing process – test ordering, sample collection, identification, transport, analysis, interpretation or reporting. Any mistake in the laboratory testing process can result in dire consequences for the patient and the entire medical team. A competent clinical diagnostics team should be able to learn from their mistakes and put measures in place to bring the errors down to negligible. This goes a long way in improving overall patient care and the success of the entire medical team. And when this happens, it is totally appropriate for the team to broadcast their success to their colleagues. This will encourage other teams to appreciate the contribution of the clinical diagnostics team and even increase collaboration opportunities.

Benefits of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for Clinical Diagnostic Labs

A cloud-hosted clinical diagnostics LIMS can increase the efficiency of the laboratory processes and further support real-time collaboration among the different clinical teams. A LIMS’ provider portal enables laboratories to deliver test reports to providers as soon as the results are ready, enabling providers to start treatment regimes for patients. At the end of the day, this will translate to better patient outcomes, making patients the ultimate beneficiary of such efforts.

Increasing the Visibility of Your Clinical Diagnostics Team is a Win-Win

A visible clinical diagnostics team encourages teamwork and collaboration with other departments and even the patient. When clinicians interact and understand the clinical diagnostics team, they will be able to make the most of individual strengths and provide opportunities for growth as well. Having the clinical diagnostics team participate in patient care teams increases the talent pool, provides different perspectives, and reduces decision-making time. Lastly, broadcasting the efforts of the clinical diagnostics team will provide positive incentives and further improve the team’s output. A clinical diagnostics LIMS plays an important role in bridging the gap between labs, providers, and patients through real-time collaboration, resulting in better patient outcomes and better patient care.