The laboratory’s essential role in addressing diagnostic errors

15 Apr 2025

Every year, 795,000 Americans die or are permanently disabled due to diagnostic errors. Most of these errors happen before a diagnosis is ever finalized—during the testing process.

Lab data drives 70% of medical decisions, yet this is often invisible to patients—and sometimes even to peers.

Clinical laboratories are central to safe, accurate diagnosis. Yet labs today face growing pressure:

  • Rising test volumes
  • Severe staffing shortages
  • Limited automation
  • High risk of burnout and error

In this case study, LGC Clinical Diagnostics explores the growing demands placed on today’s clinical laboratories and the need for reliable solutions that ease, rather than add to, the workload. Its ready-to-use quality control tools and automated software are designed to help reduce testing errors, streamline quality checks, support compliance and accreditation efforts, and free up valuable time for laboratory professionals to focus on higher-value tasks.

Whether in clinical biochemistry, molecular testing, or next-generation sequencing, find out how LGC’s solutions are built to ensure test results are consistently accurate, traceable, and dependable—supporting labs in delivering the highest standard of patient care.

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HematologyIn Haematology / Hematology, complete blood cell counts (or full blood counts) are obtained using automated blood count analyzers to enumerate blood cell types.  Hematology also encompasses haemostasis and coagulation, thrombophilia and hemophilia, plasma viscosity and ESR analysis, hemoglobinopathies, cell morphology and haematinic measurement.Clinical ChemistryBiochemistry (or clinical chemistry) involves the analysis of bodily fluids using chemical tests. Techniques used include HPLC, chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, immunochemical, electrophoresis, turbidometric / spectrophotometric assay, MRI and ISE analysis. Tests are often carried out on plasma or serum but urine (urinalysis) and fecal specimens are also processed.Clinical GeneticsMolecular Genetics covers the analysis of hereditary genetic disease and chromosomal abnormalities. Genetics can be analysed using DNA, RNA, and protein microarrays, PCR, RT PCR and DNA sequencing. Genetic equipment includes genetic workstations, thermal cyclers, cooling blocks and electrophoresis products. Diagnostic kits are used for DNA / RNA extraction and purification.Quality ControlQuality control is needed in all production processes. Quality control is a monitoring procedure or set of procedures that are put in place to ensure that a manufactured product adheres to a defined set of quality criteria.
The laboratory’s essential role in addressing diagnostic errors