Becker's Hospital Review

61 Executive Briefing are integrated into the workflow and newly implemented processes have become routine," she said. The consultants also offer resources to manage the changes necessary for successfully deploying the automated solutions. BD's change management kit guides lab leadership as they coach their teams through the transition. Dr. Lehmann also emphasized the value of peer-to-peer conversation and guidance. The BD team trains a group of key users in the lab who can then help their peers troubleshoot when needed. "Successful change can only happen when every aspect of the change equation is in place," she said. "There has to be a compelling reason behind the change and a strong vision of what the change will look like. Our customers have both of those. The other two parts of the equation are a solid plan and a sustainable approach. And this is where BD comes in." As a result, labs that adopt the BD Kiestra Solution obtain significant improvements in efficiency - fewer staff are needed to process more specimens compared to efficiency levels prior to installation of the system. 3,4 The financial perspective Spending budgetary dollars investing in automated solutions is an important decision and hospital leaders need to make sure their organization sees a return on its investment. Along with traditional return on investment (ROI) measurements, the one measurement that comes up most frequently for hospitals that purchase lab automation solutions is the payback period, which is the period of time it takes for the cost of purchasing and implementing a solution to line up with the generated savings. "The BD team works with customers to give them a timeline for the payback period," Mr. Crawford said. "It's important for hospitals to look at all the costs and benefits of automation solutions, including reduction in staffing levels once the solution is in place as well as the solutions enabling smoother and more efficient lab consolidation within a health system without the need to hire new employees," Mr. Crawford said. But it's also important for hospitals to look at soft costs. Clinical laboratories frequently have a shortage of technical workers due to retirements and a lack of new technologists entering the field. 1 Automation solutions can help laboratories manage staffing constraints by freeing up skilled technologists to focus on more complex tasks. Additionally, automation solutions can help hospitals ensure their microbiology staff have a good work-life balance. Automation solutions can enable lab staff to focus on the most important information needed to analyze results as they become available, relieving them of the long hours they may otherwise have to put in batch reviewing testing results. 4 Partnering with hospitals on purchasing options The decision to incorporate automation solutions into a lab should not be made lightly. It is important that hospitals look for a partner that can work with them and within their budgetary constraints. BD offers its customers a wide array of purchase options for BD Kiestra Solutions, from traditional capital purchase options to innovative models, such as a pay-per-plate model that was created due to a direct negotiation with a customer, said Mr. Crawford. The pay-per-plate model allows customers to pay based on the number of plates processed. "In addition, BD offers risk sharing and managed service purchase options. For customers who opt for risk sharing, BD includes risk share language that includes performance- based metrics in the purchase deal," Mr. Crawford said. The managed service option may include BD partnering with customers to provide associates who assist with operating the system. This option can also help labs navigate employee turnover, as the BD associates will be able to help train new recruits on the machines. "[My finance team] and I work directly with the customer's finance team, or with their finance director or CFO, to understand what their needs and challenges are," Mr. Crawford said. There are two parts of the equation for the successful purchase and implementation of lab automation solutions — finding the right solution for your needs and a company that will walk with you all the way. n References 1. Edna Garcia, MPH, Iman Kundu, MPH, Melissa Kelly, PhD, Ryan Soles, MS, The American Society for Clinical Pathology's 2018 Vacancy Survey of Medical Laboratories in the United States, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, Volume 152, Issue 2, August 2019, Pages 155–168. 2. Burns J. CMS issues PAMA final rule that aims to cut Medicare's clinical laboratory test price schedule sharply beginning in 2018. Dark Daily July 18, 2016. 3. Desjardins M, Sant N, Miron-Celis M, Gosal J, Jémus MF, Jémus- Gonzalez E. Impact of reduced incubation times on culture and susceptibility testing of urine cultures incubated in the BD Kiestra ReadA Compact incubators. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020;96(1):114899. 4. Thomson RB Jr, McElvania E. Total Laboratory Automation: What Is Gained, What Is Lost, and Who Can Afford It?. Clin Lab Med. 2019;39(3):371-389. doi:10.1016/j.cll.2019.05.002 BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 65,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com.

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