Diagnostics
of all clinical decisions are made using in vitro diagnostic products,20
and so it is important that
they can be used intuitively and that appropriate training is provided if needed. When taking blood samples, for instance, healthcare professionals may be at risk of needlestick injury and blood exposure. According to a recent study from the Royal College of Nursing, needlestick injuries have risen by 50% since 2008.21
Another study
deems that phlebotomists risk at least one instance of accidental percutaneous blood exposure every year.22
This suggests that there
are still pain points to be addressed with blood collection devices currently on the market. Even where products are designed with a range of human factors in mind, training and additional support may be pivotal in ensuring proper use of blood collection products. If more local diagnostics services are to be
set up, then these considerations are doubly critical, to ensure that health workers outside of the hospital setting are equipped with suitable, safe products. Phlebotomy professionals in acute settings are likely to be well trained and well-practiced, while professionals working in community hubs may not be as experienced. The NHS review mentioned above recommends that a skills mix should be core to the new diagnostics workforce, with a focus on competencies needed for service delivery, rather than restricting recruitment to a professional group. This would increase the number of professionals able to collect blood, but they may not have the same level of expertise as dedicated phlebotomists. Additionally, one review of the employment
market shows that employer demand for phlebotomy has fallen by just over a fifth (21.3%) despite the ongoing and rising need for blood collection services. This may lead to a decline in dedicated phlebotomists, forcing other professionals to expand their skillset. This is already visible, with some general practices in the UK training their receptionists to be phlebotomists in just six weeks.23
If blood
collection devices are not intuitive and easy to use, then broadening the pool of blood collection professionals may prove to be counter- productive and increase risk.
Digitalising diagnostics Digital tools could be an important support to
these new hubs, as well as hospital diagnostic services. The pandemic imposed an element of remote working in laboratories, changing perceptions about deploying digital tools. A survey of breast pathologists found that the majority were keen to adopt flexible working hours, virtual multi-disciplinary team meetings, virtual education, remote working and digital pathology into their workplace.24 Digital pathology refers to enabling technology
that allows cellular pathology laboratories to share work digitally, instead of a microscope and glass slides.25
The technology is relatively
new and very few labs are currently using it, but the ability to review results remotely has many benefits, such as getting a second opinion from a colleague who is not in the same space. Companies are spotting the opportunity here. For instance, one company is deploying digital pathology to create a virtual online department, with a network of consultant pathologists; three quarters of these operate completely digitally and 94% of NHS cases are reported within 72 hours.26
Conclusion To cope with the challenges of the future, it is critical to optimise diagnostic services and enable faster and earlier testing. The benefits of this are likely to be far-reaching, impacting patients, healthcare professionals and the broader healthcare system. Easier access to local services is integral to improving diagnostics, but this can only be achieved
with sufficient and trained staff, and effective equipment. For phlebotomists, blood collection devices that have been designed with the user in mind minimise error, reduce the risk of needlestick injury, and reduce the risk of blood sample exposure. User-centric products therefore play an important role in facilitating diagnostic activities and mitigating risk, and also minimise the level of training required. Considerations related to ease of use and accuracy are increasingly playing a role in product research and development. Digitalisation presents opportunities for significant efficiency gains, but these will only be realised if connected tools remain intuitive and if all stakeholders are willing to adopt them.
References 1. Report of the Independent Review of Diagnostic Services for NHS England. (2020). Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2020/11/diagnostics-recovery-and- renewal-independent-review-of-diagnostic- services-for-nhs-england-2.pdf
2. Lallie, S. (2021). LDPath: A virtual histopathology department for every NHS Trust. https://www.
openaccessgovernment.org/histopathology- nhs/126316/
3. US Food and Drug Administration. (2022). Medical Device Shortage During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
https://www.fda.gov/medical- devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical- devices/medical-device-shortages-during-covid- 19-public-health-emergency#shortage;
4. Beriault, D. Weinerman, A. (2022). Beriault and Weinerman: Shortage of lab supplies plagues many Canadian hospitals. https://
ottawacitizen.com/opinion/beriault-and- weinerman-shortage-of-lab-supplies-plagues-
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