Onwards
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The future of pathology services, part I

31 October 2019

The future of pathology services, part I

Pathology companies have an opportunity to deliver a sustainable, reliable and scalable healthcare solution to a growing population, whilst reducing the operational costs of maintaining an efficient medical courier network.

Healthcare is a $125b domestic industry and aims to provide a complete healthcare service to everyone, everywhere. The provision of pathology services plays an enormous role in the drive for universal healthcare, influencing around 70% of all patient health diagnoses.

A logistics operation facilitating two-way transportation for pathology samples is both a cost driver and an essential component of healthcare service delivery. Samples are transported by courier drivers under cold chain conditions in four to six-hour shifts, where they face the risk of delay and subsequent sample degradation from prolonged transit times, prohibitive geography, and uncontrollable traffic conditions – heightened in rural and remote areas.

Testing laboratories rely on the delivery of samples in order to provide fast and accurate results to the requesting physician, but often run at low utilisation rates because it’s cost-prohibitive to transport individual samples. Instead, they receive sample batches at irregular intervals throughout the day – resulting in lost efficiency and productivity.

Healthcare providers are increasingly engaging in the development and integration of innovative methods to create value and cement their market position, while reducing costs and maintaining or increasing service provision to everyone.

Optimisation and augmentation of the logistics operations associated with physically moving specimens and pathology samples presents a clear opportunity to increase service provision.

More specifically, an on-demand, fully integrated and connected aviation platform, offers pathology providers the opportunity to undertake transformational change and connect regional hubs on demand.

The key benefits are:

  • Cold chain compliance to meet regulatory requirements
  • Reduced transportation time to the lab by taking samples as the crow flies over  traffic & geographic barriers
  • Mitigation of uncontrollable risks by reducing exposure and avoiding external hazards
  • Cost savings through minimisation of energy costs, labour overheads, and upfront asset expenses

Innovative technology presents an opportunity for pathology providers to embrace innovations in technology to reduce sky-rocketing costs and allow for more efficient transportation of samples, when and where they’re required.