Measuring and Improving Productivity in the Clinical Laboratory (Online CE Course)

(based on 572 customer ratings)

Author: A. Wayne Bruce, Ph.D., MT (ASCP)
Reviewers: Julie Ann West, PhD(CPH [NBPHE]), MLS(ASCP)CM, SM(ASCP)CM;
Larry Brace, Ph.D., MLS(ASCP)SH

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The course is a good tool to introduce new managers to measures of productivity in the laboratory. It describes how culture, management, people, equipment, automation, process control, environment, and materials management affect productivity. The course provides ways to measure productivity as well as some strategies to measure and improve productivity.

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Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours (acceptable for AMT, ASCP, and state recertification): 1 hour(s)
Approved through 3/31/2025
Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel Credit Hours - Supervision/Administration, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, and Safety: 1 hour(s)
Approved through 3/31/2025

Objectives

  • Introduce, explain the challenges of, and define productivity; list the six major factors affecting productivity in the diagnostic laboratory.
  • Describe how people and culture are important to productivity.
  • Describe how automation and equipment can improve productivity.
  • Describe how materials management and environment are important to productivity.
  • Describe the role of management in productivity and some useful steps that they can follow to improve productivity.
  • Explain the importance of process control in productivity.
  • Describe ways to measure productivity.
  • Utilize the cause and effect diagram (Fishbone Diagram) to solve problems in productivity.
  • Implement some strategies for improving productivity.

Customer Ratings

(based on 572 customer ratings)

Course Outline

Click on the links below to preview selected pages from this course.
  • Introduction
      • Introduction
      • Understanding the Challenges
      • Definition
      • Which of the following is not a factor affecting productivity?
  • People
      • People - Building Culture
      • Improving productivity is best accomplished with strict oversight of the individual workers by management.
  • Automation and Equipment
      • Automation and Equipment
      • One example of a benefit of improved automation in the laboratory is:
  • Materials Management and Environment
      • Material Inventory Management
      • Materials management may be enhanced by using which of the following?
      • Laboratory Environment
      • The laboratory environment does not include:
  • Management
      • Management
      • Which of the following is not considered a challenging task for enhancing productivity in the diagnostic laboratory?
  • Process Control
      • Process Control
      • In the laboratory, process control includes all of the following, except:
  • Measuring Productivity
      • Measuring Productivity Through Benchmarking
      • RPRT went down and CPRT stayed the same during the previous month. There was a change noted in the payee fee schedule. This means productivity has not...
  • Problem-Solving with the Cause and Effect Diagram (Fishbone Diagram)
      • Solving Problems in Productivity using Fishbone Analysis
      • In problem-solving: A Fishbone Analysis tool may be referred to as all of the following, except:
  • How to Construct a Fishbone Diagram
      • Case Study Example Utilizing Fishbone Analysis to Solve a Productivity Issue in Blood Bank Department (fictional)
    • Example of Construction of Fishbone analysis
    • Categorization
      • Categorization of Blood Bank - Example
    • Contributing Factors
      • Contributing Factors to Example Blood Bank Productivity Problem
    • Deeper causes
      • Deeper Possible Causes for People as Productivity Down 20% in July
    • Determining Possible Solutions to the Problem
  • Strategies for Improving Productivity
  • Summary
      • Summary
      • In addition to a good laboratory workplace culture, environment, and workflow arrangement -- it is important to:
  • References

Additional Information

Level of instruction: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical technologists, and technicians. This course is also appropriate for medical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Course Description: The course is a good tool to introduce new managers to measures of productivity in the laboratory. It describes how culture, management, people, equipment, automation, process control, environment, and materials management affect productivity. The course provides ways to measure productivity as well as some strategies to measure and improve productivity.
Author Information: Dr. A. Wayne Bruce has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Medical Technology and a Doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration and Statistics from the University of Minnesota. He has served as Director of a CLS Program for 25 years and as laboratory Director and Technical Consultant for over 35 years. He most recently was Associate Dean at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Dr. Bruce is the President of Bruce North Country Consulting Services LLC and consults with clinical laboratories on laboratory finance, start-up, management, and accreditation. He currently directs a clinical laboratory. He has numerous publications, including a book on quality assurance for the clinical Laboratory and a financial management manual for the Thompson Publishing Group.
Reviewer Information: Dr. Julie Ann West is certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and as a Specialist in Microbiology (SM). In addition, Dr. West has earned a Ph.D. in Public Health - Infectious Disease Epidemiology - and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Dr. West is experienced as a Technical Specialist, Safety Officer, Educator, and Lead in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System, and has prior experience as an Administrative Laboratory Director.
Reviewer Information: Larry Brace, Ph.D., MT(ASCP)SH has over 40 years of experience as a medical laboratory scientist. He holds a B.S. degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences and an M.S. degree in Clinical Pathology from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been an Associate Director of the Medical Technology Program at Michigan State University, Professor of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Professor of Pathology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He was also the Director of Core Laboratories at UIC until his retirement. Dr. Brace has published more than 40 articles in major refereed scientific journals and has nearly 100 presentations (abstracts and podium presentations) at major national and international scientific meetings.

How to Subscribe
MLS & MLT Comprehensive CE Package
Includes 184 CE courses, most popular
$109Add to cart
Pick Your Courses
Up to 8 CE hours
$55Add to cart
Individual course$25Add to cart
5. Connecting people to purpose (teamwork)


8. Automation


9. Automation in the SARS-CoV-2 laboratory.


10. The lab environment


Figure 3: Contributing Factors


Figure 2: Categorization


Figure 4: Deeper Probable Causes