New survey of 250+ lab professionals finds that courier errors impact their ability to provide timely and accurate results for patients

According to a new custom survey from CAP Today, the publication of the College of American Pathologists, 86% of lab professionals stated that medical courier delays or errors affect their ability to provide timely and accurate results for patients at least once a month. Among the 269 respondents, 100% noted that medical couriers impacted their work on a weekly basis.

In response to the question regarding courier error, “As a result of a courier error in the past year, how often has an irreplaceable specimen been compromised, affecting patient care,”

• 61% of supervisors, managers and directors who responded to the survey report that their labs had irreplaceable specimen loss due to a courier error in the past year
• 18% said it had happened five or more times in the past year

“One of the most remarkable findings from this survey is that not one of the lab survey respondents thought that medical couriers have no impact on their work,” said Jake Crampton, CEO of MedSpeed, the sponsor of the CAP Today survey. “What we see from these recent surveys is that the effect of healthcare logistics on patient care cannot be underscored enough,” Crampton continued. “It is also important to note the financial impact that logistics has on care delivery, particularly when considering the cost in delays to procedures.”

Additionally, when asked “how frequently the lab professionals needed to collect another specimen or sample due to courier error,”

• 72% of respondents said they had to do so in the past year
• More than one-quarter (26%) said they had to collect another specimen 2-4 times in the last year
• 28% said more than five times in the past year

The CAP Today survey also found that 42% of lab professionals have requested STAT pickups or deliveries to supplement untrustworthy scheduled service. 32% of lab professionals have transported or shipped specimens themselves, while 48% have stayed late to wait for a courier to arrive.

“These survey responses bolster the findings from a 2022 survey from American Nurse Journal which found that 87% of nurses said medical courier deliveries—or lack thereof—impacted their work weekly,” said Crampton. “That is why partnering with a logistics provider like MedSpeed that has an error rate that is a small fraction of the industry average, can drive profound patient care impact, clinical enablement and savings.”

The anonymous survey of 269 lab professionals was conducted by CAP Today, the official journal of the College of America Pathologists, on behalf of MedSpeed from February 27 through March 24, 2023.