But maintenance wasn’t the only issue. The laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Pennsylvania, PA, also had a number of technologists nearing retirement. In order to continue to meet demand in the future, the lab knew it needed to consolidate workstations and streamline workflow. In short: do more with less.

As part of its solution, the laboratory acquired Beckman Coulter’s UniCel^® DxI 800. With this instrument—and with an integrated chemistry/immunoassay platform—efficiency, productivity and staff satisfaction are all on the rise.

Testing volume in the laboratory had been climbing roughly 7 percent per year, recently reaching a plateau of more than three million tests per year. And though the laboratory was generally satisfied with its immunoassay analyzers, issues existed.

“We would spend 45 to 50 minutes per day performing maintenance on the systems,” says Toohey. “Weekly and monthly maintenance was another hour. During this time we were down, and our productivity suffered.”

Then there was the issue of quality. The majority of time, the lab delivered high-quality immunoassay results—but occasionally results would drift out of range for no apparent reason. Toohey recalls that some physicians would call the laboratory to find out if results were accurate.

“It was time for a change,” she says. “Our chemistry and immunoassay contracts expired at the same time—and this gave us an opportunity to introduce a platform that would improve productivity and efficiency.”

Making the Switch to Beckman Coulter

Consolidation was a top priority because the lab wanted to reduce the number of workstations and improve efficiency. But finding a high-performing, integrated chemistry/immunoassay platform proved challenging.

“Most vendors keep chemistry systems separate from immunoassay,” says Toohey. “Or they connect the systems with a track, but our lab doesn’t have room for that type of design.”

Beckman Coulter, she says, was one of the only vendors to offer fully integrated platforms. Plus, the laboratory had used Beckman Coulter systems in the past, so it trusted the company’s technology.

After reviewing its options, the laboratory chose a SYNCHRON LX^®i 725 clinical system; two SYNCHRON LX^®20 PRO chemistry systems; and two UniCel^® DxI 800 immunoassay systems.

The chemistry and immunoassay reagents and calibrators are the same for the integrated LXi 725 as for the stand-alone DxI 800 and LX20 systems. Inventory management is simplified and the systems deliver equivalent patient results.

“We wanted to have standardized results across multiple systems,” says Toohey. “If the LXi is busy, technologists can run stat tests on the DxI without even a thought. It’s very convenient.”

With these instruments, the laboratory is able to achieve one of its top goals: streamlining workflow—particularly on the second and third shifts.

Doing More for Less

Many technologists on the second and third shifts are nearing retirement age—and finding new staff members is a challenge.

“With a shortage of trained technologists, we need to be prepared to complete work with fewer staff members,” says Toohey. “That’s one of the main reasons we wanted to consolidate workstations.”

Now with more integration between chemistry and immunoassay testing, technologists are able to focus on fewer instruments. The stat tests performed during the second and third shifts run on the LXi 725, and there is no need to split samples.

The UniCel DxI is also very user-friendly, says Toohey, and this helps productivity. The screens are easy to navigate and understand, further speeding workflow in the lab.

During the day shift, the UniCel DxI keeps routine samples moving quickly through the lab. (The instrument offers throughput of 400 tubes per hour.) In fact, the technologists who operate the two DxIs are often available to help on other platforms—racking specimens, offloading samples from instruments and more.

“The UniCel DxI in particular has been a pleasure for everyone,” Toohey says. “It’s a fun instrument to run, and technologists love working with it.”

With its increased capacity, the lab is considering moving even more tests on to the UniCel DxI and SYNCHRON LX systems. “This would cut another workstation and make the staff more available for other activities,” says Toohey.

Another top priority was improving turnaround time for stat tests. By concentrating stat tests on the LXi, the lab is making progress toward this goal. For instance, turnaround time has improved with AccuTnI^®, the sensitive cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay that helps diagnose acute myocardial infarction.

Then there are the maintenance benefits of the UniCel DxI. “It’s very nice to have the analyzer up and running in 10 minutes every morning,” says Toohey. “The routine maintenance is very easy to perform, so any technologist can take care of it. Loading reagents is also easy, and can be done on the fly.”

Productivity Climbs

Analyzer uptime has improved with the Beckman Coulter platform—and so has productivity in the lab.

For instance, the UniCel DxI creates an aliquot of each sample, then releases the sample for testing on other instruments. “Samples aren’t locked under the hood where you can’t get to them,” says Toohey. “Having fast access to the sample tubes on the UniCel DxI allows us to complete more testing in the same amount of time.”

Because it is easy to use, the UniCel DxI has reduced stress in the laboratory and increased staff satisfaction. In addition, with higher productivity, the lab is now considering bringing in tests that are currently sent out—a move that “will definitely help with cost savings,” says Toohey.

“We are making progress toward our goals,” she says. “This means better service to physicians and better patient care. That is the ultimate objective.”