Why safety-focused brands are winning lab directors’ hearts and minds
Last edited: | Sample Integrity - Back to overview
Squeezed budgets, high staff turnover, increasing surges in sampling demand and unavailable equipment – these are some of the daily challenges of a modern lab director. With all this to deal with it’s no wonder that products and processes that support the collection of reliable samples continue to win favour. But in the aftermath of a global pandemic, lab directors are seeing that reliability and accuracy often go hand in hand with products and processes that support safety.
An efficient lab is an indispensable function of hospital care, relied upon to process samples from all departments and return values critical to managing a patient’s care.
A high-quality sample begins with a safe blood-draw
A device that prioritizes safety protects both the healthcare worker and patient, supporting a swift and efficient blood draw, limiting chances of contamination, and in turn producing a high-quality sample that's ready for the lab.
There are inherent risks in blood collection that all clinicians wish to protect themselves from, and faulty equipment or a change to regular, trusted tools can interrupt routines and add to stress. Contamination, infection, and damage to samples are risks that using a quality safety device can mitigate. And with the peace of mind that comes from an established routine, workflows need not be interrupted.
Therefore, it is vital that nurses and labs are able to trust in the reliable quality of the blood collection devices they use. Quality control measures will flag a variation in the material composition of the device or the additives in the tube but will cause an interruption as labs must quickly adapt to ensure they are delivering a sample that can be trusted. A brand that maintains consistency in their products supports the short turn-around time demanded of labs.
Safety devices are not cheap but there are hidden costs to the alternatives
An inferior device may appear to save money, but there are substantial, hidden costs in terms of the heightened risk of injury from using an inefficient product that lacks consistency in its quality and performance. Infection, time-off from work and liability are all factors that might become an issue. Not to mention the expense of having to repeat the whole blood collection process again.
A safety-focused provider is a reliable partner
Manufacturers must share in the responsibility of promoting safety in all aspects of blood collection. Aware of the myriad challenges currently facing healthcare systems, they are obliged to develop products gained from consulting frontline workers - including both nurses and lab clinicians.
Healthcare organizations have to be able to provide effective training, and the products have to be easy to use. Manufacturers also need to provide the training materials and instruction for speedy adoption of their safety devices. Lab directors must be able to trust that these products are delivering samples that are consistent in their material quality.
An open dialogue helps a lab to prepare and keeps everyone safe
And lab directors also want to be informed of any issues related to equipment availability. Interruptions to the supply chain and the rising price of raw materials are a global issue, and providers need to have an overview of their supply chain in order to satisfy projected demands for their products.
Fostering an effective relationship with customers requires trust and transparency. Regular communication helps an organization in their preparations to secure the equipment that they need, keep their workers safe, and deliver reliable, accurate results for the welfare of the patient.
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Safety and value, it’s in our blood
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Disclaimer
This product information is addressed exclusively to healthcare professionals. Devices of Greiner Bio-One are to be used by properly trained healthcare professionals only in accordance with the relevant Instructions for Use (IFU). For a listing of indications, contraindications, precautions and warnings, please refer to the Instructions for Use which accompanies each product or is available for download from our website at www.gbo.com (Download Center). For more information contact your local Greiner Bio-One sales representative or visit our website.
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Testimonials appearing on this blog communicate their individual experiences regarding the use of our products and/or services. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the interview partner; they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Greiner Bio-One.
This information partly expresses opinions of our customers and/or experiences of individuals and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Greiner Bio-One.
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Go with the safety flow!
