Automation and digitalisation of the bacteriology laboratory offers opportunities to optimise workflows and to maximise the clinical value of microbiology testing.
All components of the process are traceable and time-stamped, and this allows detailed analysis of volume and demand and shines light on waste in the process.
These data can be used to optimise staffing, workflows and processes and this can lead to substantial improvements in turn-around times.
In this presentation, some examples of automation associated process data will be shown, and improvements in turn-around times will be discussed.
The impact of continuous 24/7 bacteriology on laboratory performance will also be considered. Finally, some ongoing issues and challenges for the automated lab will be discussed.