An image of a clock is overlaid with partially transparent COVID-19 cells and a lab worker looking into a microscope
Published On: September 12, 2022Categories: UncategorizedTags: , , ,

You know there are physicians who are waiting eagerly for their patients’ results. And no matter how good your testing may be, we understand that this will always increase the sense of pressure you feel on a daily basis.

In other words, you need to deliver. But, if you’re partnering with a reference lab, when can you expect to deliver answers?

That is, what kind of turnaround timeline might you be working with?

Total Turnaround Time 101

“The turnaround time (TAT) as defined by most of the laboratories is the time interval between the specimens received in the laboratory to the time of reports dispatched with verification,” according to the National Library of Medicine.

That being said, turnaround times are more important than mere measures of laboratory efficiency.

For example, “the term ‘therapeutic TAT’ is sometimes used to describe the interval between when a test is requested to the time a treatment decision is made,” research published in The Clinical BioChemist Reviews explains.

In other words, quick turnaround times are crucial in instances where a provider needs to make a rapid treatment decision. If it takes too long to receive the official test results — and thus the diagnosis — they may inadvertently allow the condition to progress or mistreat the patient.

The Averages of Outsourcing

If turnaround time is so important, then it’s natural for referring labs to wonder: Just how long might I have to wait for results if I team up with a diagnostic reference laboratory?

Generally speaking, 24 to 48 hours is the average TAT for reference labs that deal with molecular diagnostics.

At the beginning of the year, even Quest Diagnostics — one of the most prominent and well-known diagnostic laboratories in the United States — reported an “average turnaround time for COVID-19 molecular diagnostic test results continues to be approximately 2-3 days.”

And if that’s for COVID-19 (the testing of one pathogen), the likes of which has captured the attention of the worldwide medical community for the last two years, imagine how much longer it could potentially take to run other PCR panels that test for several pathogens each.

Reliable Results with NCF Diagnostics & DNA Technologies

With all this in mind, we understand that you both need and deserve the fastest possible turnaround times for your clients.

Thus, when you choose to partner with NCF Diagnostics & DNA Technologies, you can expect molecular diagnostic test results within 6 to 8 hours of the time we receive your samples! NCF continued to meet those expectations during Omicron, one of the busiest spikes of the pandemic, and with some of the best processes in the country, we will do it for you too.

Our real-time PCR tests cover a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more. In fact, we offer…

It’s time to satisfy requests for large molecular diagnostic testing in an extremely cost-effective manner. And what better way to do so than to work with a trusted reference lab that utilizes state-of-the-art technology and competitive pricing?

So, are you ready to outsource your tests with rapid turnaround times? Then contact us today to learn more! We look forward to providing you with accurate, fast, and convenient services.