Tackling Staff Shortages by Optimizing the Testing Workflow

A Looming Crisis: Workforce Shortage in Clinical Laboratories

Well-functioning medical laboratories are a vital component of health systems all over the world. Overall, they provide essential and objective information for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of almost every health issue. Among other information, test results may indicate whether a patient is having a heart attack, needs surgery, or chemotherapy; the results may also reveal whether the patient needs a medication adjustment or is healthy enough to return home from a hospital stay. In Germany, for example, two-thirds of all diagnoses are made or confirmed by laboratory testing. Therefore, a constructive and well-structured collaboration between physicians and laboratory medical professionals is at the core of the clinical decision-making process.