For upon |A medical lab is a high-stress environment with challenges that range from very busy workdays to equipment that go down during the busiest times and strained relationships with other healthcare professionals who constantly ask for an update. This is even made worse by those unending critical calls, short staffing, clashing with co-workers and mostly poor management.

These problems usually affect the level of attention and dedication of lab employees which increases the chances of cross-contamination hence misdiagnosis.

Human resource management in a health-care environment is also becoming a challenge due to shifting trends that continue to change the way medical lab services are being organized, provided and funded.

Ensuring the health and safety of the employees is paramount in a medical lab due to the high numbers of hazardous materials and medical waste which if not handled properly will lead to the spread of disease. How can these challenges be best dealt with?

Use of technology

Technology is changing the face of medical laboratories since it is being incorporated into the running of day-to-day activities. Areas that have benefited immensely from tech is lab management, drug testing, running simulations, generating research data, analyzing patient data and testing patient samples among others. Some of the trending technologies that are revolutionizing the running of medical labs include:

• Lab management software

The use of lab management software like LIMS, LIS, LMS, and ELN is making the running of a medical lab easy for all parties involved. There are some solutions that could help you managing daily lab operations with a few clicks or drag of the mouse with enhanced accuracy and availability of information, all at this website http://www.studylog.com/. Others will help you in knowing exactly where a lab sample is located without having to open your freezer.

• HR technology

Human resource management technology is changing everything right from the recruitment process to work scheduling and tracking employee time, that you can find at this website: Clockspot.com. This not only helps to make your medical lab employees honest but also save money on labor costs and automate stuff that usually take time like making payroll reports.

• Automation

Apart from the IT aspect, technology is promoting automation in medical labs, and this comes at a time when there is a lot of pressure for them to produce quicker results, improve the care of patients and reduce costs. TLA systems bring lab instruments under one control so that human interventions are minimized. This help to improve accuracy, efficiency and time of testing as well as reduce the number of staff that you need.

Proper training

The medical lab personnel need to be trained especially MLPs who are given managerial roles. Without this, it will be hard for them to handle issues regarding delegation of tasks, communication and even handling disputes. Proper training is also needed on occupational safety and health administration, and there is also the need for them to understand patient care policies to avoid health care fraud charges.

Enforcement of lab policies

Running a medical lab will not be easy if you do not establish and enforce lab policies that comply with regulatory standards. Without this, employees will not adhere to lab procedures, patient safety, emergency plans, safety protocols, and documentation requirement. Not only the employees but also the lab management should comply strictly with organization policies.

Running a medical lab is not an easy task and technology has so far contributed a lot in terms of providing a number of lab management software. With automation, processes can now move efficiently and faster with minimal errors since there is little to no human intervention. Proper training of lab employees in all aspects is important for them to carry out their duties diligently and running a medical lab will not be complete without enforcing policies that meet regulatory standards.