Articles

Communication is a critical component of success. Laboratory outreach leaders can foster truly effective communication with five simple steps.

Despite our best efforts, customer service failures do happen, but good service recovery tools can turn failures into positive customer experiences.

Excellent customer service flows from three foundational elements: organizational alignment, engaged employees, and the right systems and facilities.

Surveys are crucial for strengthening laboratory operations. Get insights for how to make them as effective as possible.

A pathologist’s collaboration with the outreach team and referring physicians strengthens the program and provides the best service for patients.

With updates expected to federal compliance guidance for laboratories in 2025, now is a great time to revisit existing guidelines and plans.

While preparation is key to mitigating risk, inevitably, there are unforeseen circumstances that will impact operations. Here are four ways the outreach laboratory can swiftly manage operational surprises in real time.

Unexpected events in the laboratory are an inevitability of the profession. The difference in whether it is manageable or chaotic comes down to the steps taken beforehand. By proactively preparing, you can drastically reduce the number of unknown variables to continue laboratory and outreach operations under less-than-ideal circumstances.

As the phlebotomist ventures farther from the hospital or formal outpatient setting, there are many new facets to consider. Remote phlebotomy is a patient-focused activity and can be a successful attribute for an outreach program when deployed and supported effectively.

With changes in technology, medical practice, and market trends, and the expansion of health system services, the laboratory test menu can be ever in flux. It is essential that the laboratory test menu keeps up with trends, remaining responsive to customer needs, and may even embrace innovation to improve patient care. Consider these five steps to optimize your test menu to meet outreach customer needs.

In a constrained staffing environment, how can an outreach program effectively meet customer needs? Through creativity, collaboration, and shared services, there can be multiple solutions to provide the support needed by the laboratory staff and the people they serve.

When patients are tasked with collecting specimens at home, the procedure can require special timing, collection steps, or storage conditions. If these aren’t clearly communicated to the patient beforehand, it can lead to confusion and unnecessary frustration. A laboratory can set up its patients for success by managing expectations when home collections are necessary. These steps can help ensure a successful experience for both patients and laboratory staff.

The most successful laboratory outreach programs recognize the importance of serving multiple customers. From provider to patient to healthcare consumer, the laboratory has an opportunity to serve them all with high-quality results and excellent service. When aligning testing with community awareness and patient needs, the laboratory outreach program can strategically plan for future success.