Cost-cutting in the lab

Question 1

What are the most important factors to consider?

Answer 1

Maintaining quality:
accuracy
reliability

input from all stakeholders inolved

Question 2

What are broad ways to reduce costs in the lab?

Answer 2

Reducing testing with low utility e.g fungal nail testing

Avoid duplication of work

Cheaper test

Sendaway tests - screening what needs sent

Staffing - can we use lower skilled workers

Out-of-hours - staffing

Question 3

Cost-cutting

You want to reduce number of tests to perform.

What are ways to do this?

Answer 3

Reduce number of samples received - e.g say treat people with all fungal nail without swabing

Stop processing samples - have comment saying test is low utility

When sample isolated, do less work on it. E.g detect enterovirus, but don’t sent to reference lab for typing

Question 4

Cost-cutting

When thinking about ways to save money doing a test, what are ways that we could do this?

Answer 4

Use cheaper platform

Use cheaper reagents/ consumables

alternative that requires less time/ staff

Consider sending away if cheaper

Question 5

Cost-cutting

Thinking about sendaway tests, how could we save money?

Answer 5

Screen which samples actually need sending away

Batch sending them to save transport cost

consider bringing testing in house if cheaper

Question 6

Cost-cutting

How could we save money on staff?

Answer 6

If have better/ more efficient equipment, do we still need all staff?

Could some jobs be done by lower grade workers