Strain on the Laboratory Is Noticeably Impacting Patient Care
A recent Siemens Healthineers survey found that 39% of lab professionals cite limited staff as a top challenge. This reflects a continual exit from the profession and the inability to fill open positions.
Laboratories face vacancy rates ranging from 7% to 11%, and as high as 25% in some areas, which suggests that vacancies will continue to be a challenge, as 28% of laboratory professionals aged 50 years or older indicate plans to retire within the next three to five years.
Some 37% of laboratory professionals also indicate increasing test volume as a challenge. Medical laboratory technologists and scientists process more than 14 billion tests annually in the U.S. With about 338,000 laboratory professionals currently practicing, that’s the equivalent of one laboratory scientist supporting testing for every 1,000 Americans.
These professionals recognize the gravity of their role in patient care and aim to consistently deliver high-quality test results; 95% of laboratory professionals agree they are a critical part of the healthcare system.
These challenges can impact an entire hospital or health system. For instance, 5% of laboratory professionals have reported their labs have closed for a shift or longer due to understaffing. Hundreds of patient samples are run in laboratories daily. Closures delay test results, and labs lose revenue. Samples requiring urgent attention may need to be outsourced, adding extra costs.
Another emerging concern are the errors made when lab professionals feel overworked or burned out: 14% percent of laboratory professionals admit making high-risk errors, such as biohazard exposure or incorrect test results, while 22% report low-risk errors, including administrative, documentation or repeat-testing mistakes.
