Seven steps for increasing efficiency in diagnostics

Home Blog Seven steps for increasing efficiency in diagnostics

Explore the many methods diagnostics labs can employ to improve efficiency in their processes

8th December 2021Lorraine Wenham

Improving efficiency in diagnostics has never been more important. The increasing reliance on diagnostic tests for an increasing number of treatments, an ageing population with greater access to healthcare, and the Covid-19 pandemic have all driven demand to unprecedented levels.

Take the NHS for example. Between 2014 and 2019, the number of patients waiting 6+ weeks for a diagnostic test more than doubled, growing from under 20,000 to over 40,000. These statistics came the year before COVID-19 saw the diagnostic testing requirements for UK pathology microbiology labs alone jump from 300,000 a year, to 300,000 every single day, according to the The Institute of Biomedical Science.

This extraordinary uptick in demand led the NHS to conclude that ‘major expansion and reform of diagnostic services is needed over the next five years to facilitate recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and to meet rising demand across multiple aspects of diagnostics’.

Of course, the NHS diagnostics service is not the only one that is under pressure. Diagnostic labs across the globe are facing the same skyrocketing demands. Meanwhile, the skills gap in diagnostics is making hiring lab workers even more difficult.

In order to meet this demand, and use resources as effectively as possible, it is critical that diagnostic labs employ methods for improving efficiency.

In this article, we outline some of the best ways to improve diagnostic efficiency today.

Seven steps to increasing efficiency in diagnostics

1. Automate your diagnostic lab

Automation technology – from single pieces of equipment such as a liquid handler, to laboratory workflow automation solutions – is the most effective way to increase efficiency in diagnostics.

Automated equipment is extremely effective for several reasons:

Automation can conduct the repetitive processes involved in diagnostics at a greater speed than a human
Automation can reduce the human error that will occur when lab workers conduct laborious tasks for hours on end
Automation can identify opportunities for streamlining workflows
Automation makes it easier to access more data
Automation makes it easier to track samples
Automation makes diagnostics more cost effective

By investing in automated lab equipment and protocol specific processes, diagnostic labs can hugely reduce inefficiencies in labs, while giving lab workers more walk away time from repetitive processes to focus on the tasks that really matter.

Learn how to use automation to improve efficiency in diagnostics

2. Organise your diagnostic lab

Implementing a solid organisational strategy to track and trace each sample is important to maintaining the efficiency of your lab. There are a number of ways to keep your diagnostic lab organised, popular methods include:

Documentation
Colour coding labels
Barcoding

3. Outsourcing tasks

Many laborious, repetitive tasks within a diagnostic lab can be outsourced, leaving your lab workers with more time to focus on the scientific strategy and research they were trained for.

Processes which are commonly outsourced include:

Barcoding and labeling
Packaging of labware
Printing
Testing

However, depending on how variable your information and products are, it is not always possible to outsource.

4. Use cloud technologies

Using cloud technologies rather than continuing to use paper can be a simple, but incredibly beneficial, way to enhance efficiency. Not only does it make it easier to organise information and keep it safer, it also means that multiple locations can utilise the same data.

With speedier information sharing, labs can analyse equipment and associated data across the globe, using this information to improve efficiencies or determine if there is open capacity for a specific test or need.

5. Invest in new tech to future proof your lab

With more and more innovative lab technology coming to market each year, a great way to improve efficiencies and future proof your lab for upcoming demand is to invest in the latest technology. Technologies such as automation, the Internet of Things (IoT) and radio frequency identification (RFID) can all help efficiency enormously.

However, since technology moves so fast in this space, it is also important to do your research, and invest in equipment that will not simply become obsolete in a year or two.

6. Integrate your processes

Integrating your processes to make equipment work together and communicate will increase efficiency in your workflows, while at the same time making them less prone to problematic errors.

The more processes in your lab that are integrated and working together, the faster your diagnostic testing will be.

7. Establish clean environments

The final method for improving diagnostic efficiency is perhaps the most straightforward, and you will be doing already, yet it is also one of the most effective: Keeping your laboratory environment clean and uncontaminated can be an easy way to increase efficiency.

By ensuring all your labware is processed and stored in a clean and controlled environment you can limit any corruption to your processes. This will maintain the integrity of your lab operations and improve the quality of your results, and patient outcomes as a result.

Diagnostics & Pathology

NGS library preparation

Helping labs to scale genomic testing through automated library preparation.

View this solution

Diagnostics & Pathology

Nucleic acid testing for diagnostics

For labs that focus on diagnostics, discover specific use cases to show how you can automate and scale your testing capabilities.

View this solution

Tags

Healthcare Diagnostics/NAE

Author

Lorraine Wenham

Lorraine is Content Manager here at Automata, responsible for keeping our copy tight, our TOV appropriate, and our content user-focused. She has 20 years experience in B2B marketing across a variety of topics including health, sustainability, L&D, R&D and tax.

Previous post Next post

Two scientists looking at a computer screen and tablet

Five reasons flexibility needs to be a standard feature of automation solutions

25 March 2024

Flexibility is crucial for future-proofed automation solutions. Here are five reasons why

A scientists looking at an imaginary holographic data board

Creating a single source of truth for your lab

5 March 2024

How can lab automation help ensure that the data we generate now...

A woman looking frustrated at a laptop holding her glasses

Tackling flexibility

5 March 2024

This blog explores why flexibility in lab automation is so difficult to...

2 female scientists looking at a screen and smiling

Balancing usability and functionality

5 March 2024

Why is lab automation so hard to use? And why does it...

A worried looking man in a lab coat and gloves

Making error handling better

5 March 2024

Discover how automation platforms like LINQ handle errors to improve trust and...

Conference takeaways: SLAS 2024

14 February 2024

The Automata team have just returned from showcasing two amazing LINQ systems...

Laptop surrounded with various file and data icons

Dynamic replanning: a new way to schedule workflows and why it matters

8 February 2024

Intelligent experiment scheduling can make or break productivity in a lab and...

SLAS conference tips and Boston science tourism

13 December 2023

Automata's top tips for getting the most out of your #SLAS24 experience...

Automation solutions for drug discovery

27 October 2023

The lab automation platform that removes bottlenecks and accelerates drug discovery at...

From robot arms to automation platforms: the future of lab tech

3 October 2023

Since the last time we talked, Automata and our customers have achieved...

Plant tissue culture: how automation can help

26 September 2023

We explore common problems in plus the advantages and disadvantages of plant...

CRISPR in agriculture: applications, benefits & risks

6 September 2023

Gene-editing technology such as CRISPR could be the future of agriculture. We...

Well plate with green and yellow reagent

Scaling up ELISA development with automation

6 September 2023

Find out how open, integrated automation can accelerate the ELISA development process...

Seeds in a petri dish during agrigenomics experimentation

Agrigenomics: the role of automation

6 September 2023

Genomics is transforming the future of agriculture. Learn how open, integrated automation...

Automation solutions for CROs

11 August 2023

The lab automation platform that helps CROs stay flexible to changing workflows...

Automata and The Francis Crick Institute seek molecular biologist for an exciting new project

7 August 2023

The Crick is now looking for a Senior Laboratory Scientist to work...

Preparing reagents: how automation can help

11 July 2023

Proper reagent preparation is key to experimental success. Find out how automated...

What are cloud labs?

11 July 2023

Automated, remote-operated cloud laboratories allow researchers to run experiments 24/7. We look...

Automated cell culture incubation

11 July 2023

Discover how automated cell culture incubators can scale your cell biology workflows,...

How to automate your chemistry lab

11 July 2023

Discover how open, integrated automation can streamline common processes in clinical labs,...

ELISA assay validation: how automation can help

11 July 2023

Find out how open, integrated automation can accelerate the ELISA validation process...

Scientist wearing PPC looking through a microscope in a life sciences lab

How to ensure lab reproducibility with automation

16 May 2023

Explore the value of reproducibility in the lab, and how automation can...

Five ways we redesigned the lab bench for automation

15 May 2023

How we reimagined the lab bench for automation.

Stock image of scientists working in a laboratory.

How to improve turnaround time in the lab

30 March 2023

Discover how lab turnaround time can be reduced through automation, without compromising...

Stock image of a lab, looking through a window.

Maintaining cell lines with automation

30 March 2023

Discover how automation can facilitate repetitive maintenance of cell line processes, enhancing...

3D rendering of human cells in a blue background.

Unlocking the potential of 3D cell cultures with automation

29 March 2023

Discover the advantages of automated liquid handling in cell culture, from reduced...

Stock image of DNA strands in a test tube.

Automation in cancer genome sequencing

24 March 2023

From diagnosis to treatment, new technologies are revolutionising scientists' approach to cancer...

A stock image showing two scientists wearing PPC and working in a laboratory.

Unlocking the power of people in your lab

21 February 2023

By utilising the power of open, integrated automation solutions lab technicians can...

A stock image showing two women scientists in lab coats, looking at a screen

How to unlock the space in your lab

3 February 2023

By utilising the power of open, integrated automation solutions lab technicians can...

An out of focus stock image showing the lights from a laboratory

Unlock the potential of your science lab with automation

30 January 2023

Imagine what potential could look like for your science lab if you...

Challenges of working with genetically edited cells

23 November 2022

Sonia Jassi, Drug Discovery and Synthetic Biology Lead at Automata, examines how gene...

Improving NGS library prep with automation

16 November 2022

Discover how you can reduce time-intensive processes, improve data quality and optimise...

How to improve laboratory productivity

16 November 2022

Discover how you can supercharge your lab’s productivity, increase efficiency and save...

How to ensure quality control in a lab

16 November 2022

Learn how you can optimise common lab quality control processes through automation,...

What is lab 4.0?

16 November 2022

Lab 4.0 technologies allow laboratories to unlock their potential through digital transformation...

Benefits of automated liquid handling in cell culture

16 November 2022

Discover the advantages of automated liquid handling in cell culture, from reduced...

Becoming a smart lab: the three stages

7 October 2022

The steps for finding the lab automation solution that's the right fit...

Four methods for enhancing automation in your lab

3 October 2022

Automation is still widely underutilised in the lab space. Here are our...

Applying automation lessons from manufacturing in the lab

26 September 2022

How the lessons we learned from manufacturing automation can help supercharge your...

Industry insider: my takeaways from SmartLabs UK 2022

14 September 2022

Integrating data from the offset and LEGO lab automation: Here’s what I...

The four biggest trends in lab automation this year

25 July 2022

Russell Green, Director of Product Growth at Automata outlines the four biggest...

3 key themes from Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit

15 July 2022

Find out what some of the biggest themes and challenges are within...

How to better utilise staff in cell culture labs

22 June 2022

Cell culture labs are labour intensive which can contribute to a poor...

Quick automation wins in mammalian cell culture

22 June 2022

Automating mammalian cell culture can improve the scale and quality of results...

SLAS Europe 2022: five key trends in lab automation this year

26 May 2022

Our round up of the latest innovations and trends in the lab...

Improving cell culture quality

10 May 2022

As cell cultures become more advanced, optimising culture quality is more important...

Scaling cell culture processes

20 April 2022

As demand for cell culture increases, labs are under pressure to scale...

Unlocking the potential of genomic sequencing

10 March 2022

Genomic sequencing will revolutionise healthcare over the next decade. We take a...

Common sources of error in biology lab experiments

4 March 2022

We look at what causes errors in biology lab experiments and how...

Human error in colony counting in a clonogenic assay

3 March 2022

Manual colony counting is repetitive and error-prone, but, with automation, it can...

How to reduce downtime in a drug discovery lab

23 February 2022

Downtime in drug discovery labs delay an already long and complex process....

How automated labs can improve information gathering

11 February 2022

With collating data never more important, automation offers a unique opportunity to...

Investigating lab automation in early drug discovery

4 February 2022

Rapidly developing breakthrough treatments at pace is critical. We investigate the benefits...

How automating labs can improve PCR testing capacity, accuracy and speed

11 January 2022

With the reliance on PCR testing set to continue, automation offers an...

How automation prevents human error in the laboratory

7 January 2022

Despite protections, human error in labs still leads to incorrect diagnostics and...

How to select the right lab automation partner

15 December 2021

Investing in lab automation in 2022? Here are the best practices for...

Omicron puts PCR testing back in the news. How can labs meet demand?

9 December 2021

With the new COVID-19 variant on the rise across the globe, PCR...

Diagnostic automation key for NHS to ‘build back better’

2 December 2021

Government and industry have an opportunity to revolutionise diagnostics in the UK:...

How to automate diagnostics processes

29 November 2021

ab automation in diagnostics can help labs scale testing, improve speed and...

What is laboratory workflow automation in diagnostic testing?

11 November 2021

Laboratory workflow automation links multiple lab automation technologies to automate entire diagnostic...

Benefits of lab automation - Diagnostic testing

The benefits of lab automation for diagnostic testing

2 November 2021

Lab automation technologies reduce the pressure on repetitive tasks, increase productivity and...

Ensuring quality in laboratory diagnostics

19 October 2021

Quality in lab diagnostics is critical. We explore methods of ensuring quality...

Is this the end of fit to fly COVID-19 PCR tests?

19 October 2021

The UK government’s U-turn on fit to fly PCR tests has brought...

Which lab processes can be automated today?

19 October 2021