MLO Survey Sheds Light on the Impact of COVID-19 on Molecular Diagnostics

A State of the Industry Survey conducted by Medical Laboratory Observer focusing on molecular diagnostics and the impact of COVID-19 revealed a number of insights about how labs are functioning today. The survey found that since the emergence of the virus, testing demand has grown by 25 percent (37 percent of respondents) and 50 percent (24 percent of respondents) respectively. To deal with these surplus cases, 51 percent of the labs were sending them to other facilities for processing, while 48 percent were taking steps internally to increase capacity by adding automation and more test options. Citing accuracy, reliability, and availability, 70 percent of the labs preferred using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rRT-qPCR) for COVID-19 diagnosis.

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In Medical Laboratory Observer’s (MLO-online.com) latest State of the Industry Survey, the focus is on molecular diagnostics and the impact of COVID-19.

The survey reveals how labs across the country are dealing with increased testing demands, what types of tests are preferred, and how the global pandemic has shaped daily lab procedures.

When asked to what degree have testing demands increased, 37 percent of the respondents estimated growth at 25 percent since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Another 24 percent of the respondents estimated increased demand by as much as 50 percent.

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So how are labs dealing with this increased demand for lab testing? According to the survey, they are either sending overflow samples to other facilities for processing (51 percent) or they are internally taking steps to increase capacity by adding automation and more test options (48 percent).

When asked about preference for which lab test to use for COVID-19, 70 percent of the respondents indicated they preferred reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rRT-qPCR) based on accuracy, reliability, and availability.

Click HERE for the survey results.

LigoLab’s Comprehensive Platform and Direct-to-Consumer Portal Support Give Clinical Labs the Tools Needed to Handle Increased Testing Demands

Is your laboratory struggling to keep up with the increased testing demands? Are the manual order entry and follow-up bottlenecks affecting your lab’s testing capacity and turnaround times? Does your laboratory information system (LIS) have the agility, automation, and end-to-end interoperability needed to meet the demands for effective and efficient testing and reporting?

From patient registration to reporting, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Operating Platform and the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Portal (D2C) have you covered.

The LigoLab platform has the limitless configuration and automation to support high-volume pooled testing as a screening tool for COVID-19, and the TestDirectly Portal is a web-based application that can quickly interface with any LIS to create end-to-end efficiencies in both the laboratory and at the collection site.

To learn more, call (818) 395-4659 or check out these links.

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More LigoLab Resources

Our Story - a LigoLab Presentation

How to Increase Total Revenue Without Adding Operating Costs

Operational Excellence - It’s Possible With the Right Laboratory Operating Platform

More TestDirectly Resources

TestDirectly - Direct-to-Consumer Diagnostic Testing

TestDirectly - How it Works From the Patient’s Perspective

How TestDirectly Helped DuPage County and Reditus Laboratories Create a More Efficient Drive-Through With Faster Test Results

How Our Lab Partner Embraced Innovation and Won a Statewide Testing Contract

From Latin, “Ligo” means to unite or connect, at that’s precisely what LigoLab Information System does for its laboratory partners, transforming them into information-driven, connected, and thriving businesses with its enterprise healthcare software solutions. Call (818) 395-4659 to schedule a software demonstration and see for yourself how LigoLab helps labs grow and thrive.