Turnaround time is an important element of the service provided by pathology, and centrifugation can play an important role in minimising any analytical delay. Here, John Zajechowski provides a Motown perspective.
STAT, expedite. ASAP. Common language heard in a clinical laboratory today. Whether it's a dedicated laboratory to support a busy accident and emergency (A&E) department, a satellite laboratory in a hospital network or a large core laboratory, we've all been forced to address this ‘need for speed’.
As our clinical customers demand faster results, laboratory management has developed methods to monitor our ability to meet these demands. Turnaround time (TAT) has become the tool many laboratories use to monitor their performance. Pre-analytic, analytic and post-analytic processes all impact the TAT, and the laboratory has a role in defining and controlling these processes.
Turnaround time statistics are measured and tracked within the laboratory but are shared with departments that utilise short turnaround time (STAT) laboratory services (ie A&E) and departments that monitor laboratory services (ie hospital administration). Today's laboratories are often judged by their ability to meet specified TAT goals.
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