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The article discusses the results of "Medical Laboratory Observer's" 2024 annual survey of laboratory professionals. Cited are the characteristics of the survey respondents, including their workplaces and job titles, and age and experience, major industry categories where employer benefit offerings remain robust, and their annual base salary ranges.

The article focuses on the concept of "Dark Labs," which are fully automated diagnostic laboratories leveraging robotics, AI, and advanced data analytics to revolutionize medical diagnostics. It mentions these labs aim to address workforce shortages and human errors, enhancing testing accuracy, efficiency, and speed by automating sample preparation, processing, and analysis, allowing skilled technicians to focus on specialized tasks requiring human expertise.

The article focuses on the underappreciated diagnostic and prognostic value of platelet indices in the field of healthcare. It mentions different platelet indices, explaining their importance in comprehending and addressing various diseases such as cancer, circulatory issues, and thrombotic-related conditions, offering valuable insights for patient care and management.

The article discusses the clinical pathological significance of urinary casts. Topics discussed include the functions and parts of the renal system, the importance of urinalysis in detecting chronic kidney disease, and the components of urinalysis which include macroscopic examination of the sample, chemical analysis and microscopic examination of the urine sediment. Also discussed are factors influencing urine cast formation and the role of casts as indicator of renal disease.

The article offers information about the challenges of maintaining quality in point-of-care testing (POCT) compared to laboratory testing. It discusses the unique issues faced in POCT, such as the diverse settings, non-laboratorian personnel, and regulatory variations. The article emphasizes the need for effective quality management systems in POCT and highlights the components of a laboratory quality management system (QMS) that can be adapted to address the challenges of POCT.

The article highlights the benefits of dedicated, specialized, hemostasis automation system. Cited are the cost effectiveness and less complexity of a hemostasis-dedicated automation system compared to a total laboratory automation (TLA) system, three strategies for TLA systems to incorporate hemostasis testing, and the need to closely integrate hemostasis analyzers with the automation system.

The article discusses the things to consider by clinical laboratories before incorporating digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and workflows into their organization to ensure they are getting the full advantage of the benefits of deploying these technologies. Cited are initial reasons or goals in adoption, ways of involving stakeholders in the deployment and the benefits of working with vendors in monitoring implementation.

The article focuses on the significance of critical laboratory values and their role in preventing life-threatening situations, highlighting the historical development of a systematic approach to manage these values. Topics include the implementation of the original critical value system at Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center, the contributions of Dr. Sol Bernstein to laboratory utilization, and the broader sociologic and economic factors influencing this advancement in the 1960s.

The article focuses on recent innovations in clinical diagnostics showcased at a conference. Topics include advancements in automated testing systems like Abbott's Alinity series, versatile linearity and calibration verification kits, and the introduction of new diagnostic tools such as the Solana Molecular Testing Platform for faster molecular diagnostics and these developments aim to enhance laboratory efficiency, accuracy, and expand diagnostic capabilities across various clinical settings.

The article focuses on the challenges clinical laboratories face due to escalating cybersecurity threats, which jeopardize operational continuity and patient care. Topics include the financial implications of cybersecurity breaches, strategies for managing extended downtimes, and the importance of coordinated responses across healthcare teams to mitigate disruptions and ensure effective recovery.

The article focuses on the urgent need for enhanced sesame allergy testing in response to new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling regulations. Topics include the rise in sesame allergies and testing demand, the limitations of traditional allergy tests, and the benefits of advanced allergen component testing like the Ses i 1 test for more precise diagnosis and management.

The article focuses on the potential of digital pathology in improving the detection and prognostic evaluation of breast cancers, with a specific focus on cell cycle deregulation as a key factor influencing cancer outcomes. It mentions the importance of developing digital pathology solutions that can extract cell cycle-related information from Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) whole slide images, potentially enhancing therapy response prediction and prognosis.

The article focuses on the potential of digital pathology in improving the detection and prognostic evaluation of breast cancers, with a specific focus on cell cycle deregulation as a key factor influencing cancer outcomes. It mentions the importance of developing digital pathology solutions that can extract cell cycle-related information from Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) whole slide images, potentially enhancing therapy response prediction and prognosis.

The article discusses Mayo Clinic's extensive use of automation in clinical laboratories, emphasizing its role in enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and supporting patient care. Topics covered include the integration of automation across various laboratory areas, the importance of digital solutions and informatics in optimizing processes, and the significance of specimen collection and handling improvements.

The article focuses on addressing pathology burnout and the role of digital pathology in transforming laboratory operations. Topics include recognizing and tackling burnout, implementing digital pathology for efficiency gains and improved diagnostic confidence, and leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance pathology capabilities.

The article focuses on various advanced diagnostic analyzers, highlighting their capabilities and applications in clinical settings. Topics include real-time PCR platforms for syndromic testing, compact and efficient immunoassay analyzers, and automated systems for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) testing, all designed to enhance laboratory efficiency and diagnostic accuracy across different healthcare environments.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including sharing insights from the State of the Industry survey on Lab Management Best Practices, which highlights feedback from MLO readers over the past three years regarding controlling costs.

The article offers a review of several chemistry testing products: the ACE Axcel Clinical Chemistry System by Alfa Wassermann, the DxC 500 AU Chemistry Analyzer by Beckman Coulter, and the Lite c270 by Carolina Liquid Chemistries.

The article informs the significance of adopting an all-in-one Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to address data management challenges in medical laboratories. It mentions the benefits of seamless integration and interoperability within LIMS, including improved data quality, streamlined workflows, and enhanced productivity.

The article offers information on how to optimize revenue management through analytics. It mentions about the range of factors that have converged placing increased pressure on clinical laboratories to streamline operations, reduce costs, and increase revenue capture. It discusses the impacts of staffing shortages on clinical labs amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The article focuses on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' final rule published on December 28, 2023, which updates CLIA fees and regulations, including an 18 present across-the-board increase in fees and adjustments to sustain funding for the CLIA program.

The article offers a preview of several medical assays including the BD Onclarity HPV Assay from Becton, Dickinson & Co., EONIS Q system from Revvity, and Applied Biosystems TaqPath DuraPlex 1-Step RT-qPCR Master Mix from Thermo Fisher.

The article focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on testing practices for sexually transmitted infections. Topics include the decline in the reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases during the first few months of the pandemic; the views of James Walker, vice president at BD, a medical device company, on the preexisting laboratory staffing shortages; and the views of Virginia Templet, Director of Marketing, Puritan Medical Products on the efficient collection and accurate results.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including challenges in the lab that have been exacerbated by COVID-19; role of serology testing during the COVID-19 pandemic; and pre-analytical, post-analytical and data management phases of lab testing.

The article evaluates several products including the miniiSED® by ALCOR Scientific; the Blood Culture Identification 2 Panel by BioFire®; and the ePlex® System by Genmark Diagnostics.

The article focuses on COVID-19 testing to stay for the long term as labs are starting to feel the pinch of reduced testing revenue. Topics include considered that to solve that problem and maintain or increase market share, labs should ensure their outreach program is meeting the needs of current customers and has the flexibility to appeal to new ones.

The article offers information on the Endeavor Lab Directors Summit held in December 2019 in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada. It mentions responsibilities of lab directors oversee the selection and direction of lab systems, analyzers, automation and Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), as well as control inventory of supplies through purchasing and management. It also mentions step in managing reimbursement cuts from Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA).

The article discusses the evolution of laboratory automation. Topics include need of automation to save time and improve performance, notes that the first automated laboratory system was introduced into the chemistry laboratory by Leonard Skeggs, and also mentions the use of automation for improved patient care.

The article discusses the changes and challenges that microbiology laboratories face. The article also describes how the automation advances in the microbiology lab can be used in plate reading. It is said that artificial intelligence (AI) allows innovative algorithms and specialized software to automatically report culture results. Additional investigations have examined the ability of the AI software to determine its capability to identify mixed results using traditional urine culture media.

The article presents a research report on the potentiality of artificial intelligence (AI) for the sensitive detection of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) from pregnancy screening cultures. Topics include the use of a specifically designed chromogenic agar which shows GBS organisms as pink to red colonies that are round and pearly on clear agar; and the evaluation of colonies for the appropriate coloration on the chromogenic agar which indicates possible GBS organism's presence.

The article focuses on the challenges faced in managing and leading a diverse laboratory workforce, particularly during the COVID era, with a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. It reports that DEI encompasses three essential components: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and highlights the need for laboratory leaders to develop Emotional Quotient (EQ), Cultural Quotient (CQ), and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) to foster a positive and inclusive work culture.

An interview with Christina Wichmann of the American Proficiency Institute's (API) is presented. When asked about the projects you have worked on, she says that over the past 30 years, she has worked on various projects, including setting up a shipping process, developing a proficiency testing program for food laboratories, managing system logistics, and challenging experiences. She discussed the Corrective Action Checklist, laboratory automation, and new technologies.

The article discusses about laboratory analytics to improve performance in a value-based world of change. Topics include laboratory analytics brings data to fingertips with report that can be run ad hoc or scheduled when needed, allowing the laboratory managers to be in control of their data; and data management and analytics play a critical role in helping labs transition to value-based care by harnessing power of data to improve operational efficiency, financial performance, and productivity.

The article focuses on laboratories can play a central role in transition to value-based care through such activities as promoting appropriate test utilization and optimizing the pathology reports in analytics. It mentions population health involves improving the health outcomes for groups of similar patients, such as those with diabetes, and chronic disease management. It also mentions problems with sharing data between laboratory information systems (LIS) and electronic health records (EHR).

The article presents the discussion on understanding the limitations of integrated workcells. Topics include workload fueling by the increased healthcare consumption of an aging population; minimizing human errors, accelerating turnaround times, standardizing processes, and protecting result integrity; and identifying mislabeled tubes, tubes containing wrong samples, or tubes carrying insufficient sample volumes.

The article focuses on expanding role of biomarker testing in non-small cell lung cancer. It mentions that anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene fusions have been identified in a small subset of cancer patients who will benefit from targeted therapy such as crizotinib or ceritinib. It also mentions about selecting biomarker testing methodologies.

The article discusses the challenges and issues faced by laboratories with COVID-19 testing programs in the U.S. with respect to testing and payment collection. Also cited are the factors affecting collection of reimbursements for molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests like insurance eligibility verification, the move to automate the collection of patient information, and how to code COVID-19 disease.

The article focuses on the importance of diagnostic stewardship in the clinical laboratory and its potential to improve patient care and reduce diagnostic errors. It discusses the inadequate education in laboratory medicine for medical trainees, the prevalence of diagnostic errors, and the need for appropriate test selection and result interpretation.

The article focuses on lab management best practices, exploring topics such as standardization of processes, controlling costs, and improving the quality and efficiency of testing. It discusses strategies employed by clinical laboratory professionals, including implementing technology solutions, optimizing contracts, and addressing staffing shortages and supply chain issues.

The article focuses on the challenge of carbapenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with topics including the outbreak of drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the background and epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa, and different testing methods for carbapenem-resistant strains.

The article focuses on advancements in platelet technologies and the need for improved platelet function tests. It discusses the development of new technologies, including a newly cleared global testing system, specialized chips for microfluidic clot detection, platelet contractile force analysis, and automated light transmission aggregometry, as well as innovative platelet product options.

The article focuses on the elements of a general laboratory safety program, including engineering controls, personal protective equipment, work practice controls, transport and shipping of specimens, and waste disposal. It emphasizes the importance of implementing these measures to meet the requirements of international, national, and accreditation organizations and to ensure a safe laboratory environment.

The article focuses on reducing laboratory errors and challenges in laboratory testing. Topics include the use of automation to reduce errors in the analytical phase, improving the pre- and post-analytical phases through specimen identification and test order management, and addressing challenges such as personnel shortages and supply shortages.

The article offers information that how blood conservation unburden the laboratory post-Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S. It mentions the impact of the pandemic on the healthcare industry as it contends with a record number of employees leaving the industry, supply chain disruptions, and increasing medical mistakes, laboratorians continue to churn out crucial diagnostic tests that remain integral to the overall goal of delivering good patient care.

The article presents the discussion on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) being a standard laboratory technique used for amplifying a specific sequence of DNA. Topics include making PCR highly susceptible to cross-contamination particularly from exogenous DNA sources; and reducing the possibility of contamination, extracted DNA/RNA and/or PCR products.

The article focuses on various products and technologies related to medical diagnostics. Topics include diabetes antibody kits, serum and urine chemistry controls, multiplex molecular diagnostics systems, Lyme disease detection, cholesterol assays, pathogen detection, multi-drug resistance panels, and rapid antigen diagnostics.