Printing delays snag release of test results

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

The head of the region’s main testing laboratory for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) revealed on Tuesday that delays in the printing of test results caused backlogs in the release of results.

Dr. Stephanie Abello, Chief Pathologist of the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, told Bombo Radyo Iloilo that they were already processing samples real-time.

But their current challenge was how to print the results.

WVMC houses the Sub-National Laboratory (SNL) for COVID-19 testing in Region 6.

Abello also confirmed to Daily Guardian in a phone interview that more than 1,800 results are still being printed as of Sept. 15.

“Our challenge right now is how to cope with our backlogs in the printing. With regard to the processing, we have processed everything and the processing is real-time, but what delays us is the printing. As of today, we have released the whole of August, the last batch of Sept. 1, and with Sept. 2 and 3 where the printing is overlapping because there is an assigned encoder for each bay. We just keep printing and printing, we have released everything from August,” Abello said.

Abello added that they are still working on releasing the results of specimen they received earlier this month.

“There are still some remaining from August, ones which are invalid and those which need repeat collection, so we have given advice for those tests. There is still a last part, because the [samples] from Sept. 1 are at 1,537, so we can’t release them at one day. We started releasing the ones from Sept. 1 three days ago, and if others finish working on them, we continue releasing [results],” she said.

According to Abello, WVMC-SNL currently has 8 encoders per shift working in six stations, five of which are dedicated to the releasing of results, and the other one dedicated to developing summaries for the Department of Health (DOH).

These encoders process 200 to 250 results within an 8-hour shift and print the results within two days.

She said that they can only release up to more than 1,200 laboratory test results within 24 to 48 hours.

“Right now, the ones who do the backlogs are those from the clinical lab who are not part of the SNL. The recent and newer ones are being done by SNL encoders. As you can see in the bulletins, we release 900 to 1000 plus in a day. Most of them are backlogs which we are trying to cope with, together with recent samples,” she said.

She added that they are also hastening the encoding and releasing of the results, especially that one of their encoders tested positive for COVID-19.

“We’re doing a double time right now because we had a setback because we had another positive case so others will undergo quarantine. We are 17 working in the lab, and only a few people come in. That’s why we can’t be in full force,” she said.

Abello agreed that more encoders will speed up the releasing process but added that there will also be technological and facility concerns to be addressed.

“If we add encoders, our printing capabilities will speed up, but the problem there is that since we are using an information system, we need computers with software for the releasing of results, plus a larger space to accommodate more [encoders],” she said.

Faster release of test results is key to contact tracing and isolation of COVID-19 patients. Recently, Iloilo City sent some specimen to Cebu and Bacolod for processing due to the backlog in WVMC-SNL.