Why Turnaround Time Matters
Turnaround time (TAT) is a key quality indicator that affects clinical decision-making, patient flow, and customer satisfaction. Regulators and accreditation bodies expect labs to monitor and manage TAT as part of their quality systems.
Defining Turnaround Time
TAT definitions vary by organization, but common start and end points include:
- Order entry to result verification.
- Specimen receipt to result verification.
- Specimen collection to result release to the provider.
Clearly define TAT metrics by test type (e.g., STAT vs routine) to avoid confusion.
How to Measure TAT
- Collect time stamps from LIS, middleware, or related systems.
- Calculate median and 90th percentile TAT, not just averages.
- Segment TAT by location, department, analyzer, or shift.
- Track trends over time to identify performance changes.
Improving TAT Performance
- Identify process bottlenecks in pre-, analytic, and post-analytic phases.
- Optimize staffing and scheduling for peak workload times.
- Use auto-verification where appropriate.
- Collaborate with clinics on collection and transport timing.
TAT Analytics in mylabcompliance.io
mylabcompliance.io can help you manage TAT by:
- Aggregating TAT data and visualizing trends.
- Highlighting outliers and recurring delays.
- Linking TAT issues to incidents and improvement projects.
- Providing dashboards for regular QA and leadership review.