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. 2017 Jun 16;6(1):881.
doi: 10.4081/jphr.2017.881. eCollection 2017 Apr 13.

Clinical Laboratory Automation: A Case Study

Claudia Archetti  1 , Alessandro Montanelli  2 , Dario Finazzi  1 , Luigi Caimi  2   3 , Emirena Garrafa  2   3
Affiliations

Clinical Laboratory Automation: A Case Study

Claudia Archetti et al. J Public Health Res. .

Abstract

Background: This paper presents a case study of an automated clinical laboratory in a large urban academic teaching hospital in the North of Italy, the Spedali Civili in Brescia, where four laboratories were merged in a unique laboratory through the introduction of laboratory automation.

Materials and methods: The analysis compares the preautomation situation and the new setting from a cost perspective, by considering direct and indirect costs. It also presents an analysis of the turnaround time (TAT). The study considers equipment, staff and indirect costs.

Results: The introduction of automation led to a slight increase in equipment costs which is highly compensated by a remarkable decrease in staff costs. Consequently, total costs decreased by 12.55%. The analysis of the TAT shows an improvement of nonemergency exams while emergency exams are still validated within the maximum time imposed by the hospital.

Conclusions: The strategy adopted by the management, which was based on re-using the available equipment and staff when merging the pre-existing laboratories, has reached its goal: introducing automation while minimizing the costs.

Keywords: cost analysis; direct and indirect costs; equipment; laboratory automation; staff.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Pre- and post-automation structure of the laboratories.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Comparison of equipment cost: absolute values.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Analysis of turnaround time.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Comparison with other Italian laboratories in terms of full time equivalent per volume.
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