Implementation of total laboratory automation at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: effect on turnaround time and cost efficiency.

BACKGROUND: Total laboratory automation (TLA) is a relatively new way of improving the management of high volume clinical laboratories. TLA may reduce staff, reduce operating costs, decrease testing time and provide enhanced process control.

OBJECTIVES: Establish a cost efficient TLA that is less labor intensive, improves productivity and reduces turnaround time (TAT).

DESIGN: Implementation of TLA for random glucose and troponin-T as sentinel tests to compare change in TAT.

SETTING: Tertiary hospital with high volume of laboratory tests.

METHODS: Routine patient samples for random glucose and troponin-T were used to capture TAT. Information on staff grades and schedules before and after implementing the TLA, and cost of contracts to deliver the service were collected.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: TAT, cost efficiency, and reduction in labor.

RESULTS: The consolidation of contracts resulted in a reduction of 28.8 million SAR in direct costs. Staffing cost was reduced by 1.14 million SAR with less senior staff required; there were reductions in staff at both senior and junior level. The overall TAT for all tests was reduced by 32% in 2016 (after TLA implementation) compared to 2012 (before TLA implementation). The median TAT for random glucose tests was reduced by 21% (to 55.7 minutes in 2016 from 70.1 minutes in 2012). Evidence of test optimization by exploring the impact of stat tests, auto-dilutions and reruns on the overall TAT of the TLA is shown by comparing troponin T TATs after reclassifying stat tests (in 2016) to routine (in 2017). At the 75th percentile, there was a 27% reduction in TAT when comparing August 2016 to March 2017 with a 19% reduction in median TAT.

CONCLUSION: By moving from stat to routine assays, the TAT was reduced, which is counter-intuitive. The use of stat assays slowed down the performance of the TLA. A careful review of the mix of assays should be conducted to maximize performance and to ensure that the system delivers what is required.

LIMITATIONS: Room for improvement by systematically analyzing and reviewing the impact of making minor changes that could have significant impact on TAT.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.