Finding a Good Laboratory
When the success of your business depends on your laboratory and its testing capabilities, you should be very particular in the selection of your testing vendor. Here is a list of six questions you should ask to better uncover if your selected laboratory is a good fit for your business needs:
- Are they CLIA accredited? Laboratory certifications are critical in ensuring a laboratory is operating at the highest standards. Verify laboratory information via the CDC CLIA Laboratory Search feature.
- How much of the testing process does the laboratory conduct themselves and how much do they outsource? Laboratories that conduct testing in-house with no outside parties ensure better privacy and security of patient and administrator data. Premier Lab Solutions has an integrated solution that provides for in-house collections, courier, and testing, which results in an efficient, streamlined, secure process.
- How responsive is the customer support team? Situations can change on a dime and it’s highly important to have a laboratory with friendly, round-the-clock customer service and support staff readily available. Premier Lab Solutions is a well-networked, medium-sized business that boasts the ability to be nimble and swiftly respond to customer and patient needs through live customer service agents available seven days a week.
- How reputable is the laboratory and what other major providers have they partnered with? Laboratories that have partnered with city departments and government entities are a good way to assess their capabilities. Those kinds of partnerships can allude to their ability to process large orders swiftly and accurately, as well as adhere to contract guidelines and budgets. Ask your potential laboratory vendor for three or more references and probe for more information on how well the contracts were executed.
- How rigid is the laboratory’s organization and its services? Laboratories that are willing to listen and adapt to the needs of the customer go a long way in providing the best service and a long-lasting working relationship. Ask questions about your potential laboratory’s services and willingness to modify their structure to meet your needs. In the past, Premier Lab Solutions has responded to client needs by extending lab hours, increasing courier services with more frequent routes, and building closer STAT labs to decrease turnaround time.
- Are they affordable? Laboratories with government partnerships and company-wide efficient workflow allow for drastically reduced costs. City and State partnerships can often leverage government funding to supplement or subsidize the costs of testing, while in-house collections, courier, testing, and resulting reduce third party/outsourced costs. In combination, these kinds of laboratories have significantly lower overhead costs, meaning lower costs for your business.
Your business can be significantly impacted by your laboratory partnership. From drug testing to COVID-19 testing, your laboratory vendor should operate with the highest integrity and execute contracts flawlessly. For more information on how to find the best laboratory to partner with or for assistance with a current laboratory contract, reach out to us at Premier Lab Solutions.
