Children’s National in D.C. is home to a new type of technology that officials say will deliver lab results within hours for children and families and help doctors provide more timely diagnoses and treatments.
The hospital launched a new, fully automated laboratory testing line that performs clinical testing of children’s blood work in one streamlined process.
Dr. Meghan Delaney, chief of Pathology and Lab Medicine at Children’s National, told WTOP that the new technology is like a conveyor belt in a factory, traveling through an automated track with the assistance of robotic technology.
Once samples are loaded into the line, they are processed, spun if necessary and moved down to their next step with less manual handling.
“It really cuts down on waiting, while a sample might be waiting to be picked up by the next person,” Delaney said. “It moves the sample directly to where it needs to go, and it immediately begins to be tested.”
The testing line can perform 100 of the most common chemistry tests, from checking a child’s sodium and potassium levels to thyroid tests.
Children’s National became the first children’s hospital to have the technology, which typically was reserved for laboratories handling adult patients. Originally, Delaney said, that was because the automation lines could not handle smaller samples in smaller tubes.
The other reason was that the technology was not fully ready. Children’s National set off looking to add an automated line a few years ago, and it took a year of phased construction inside the hospital’s main laboratory. Delaney said plans include adding more instruments to the line in the future to make the lab more efficient and faster.
The new technology will allow the hospital to complete about 1,800 tests an hour, a substantial increase from 180-200 tests in the same time in the current process, Delaney said. By performing so many tests quickly, doctors can diagnose illnesses and help patients faster.
One example is performing a newborn bilirubin test, Delaney said. When bilirubin levels are high, the child may develop jaundice, a medical condition that turns their skin and eyes yellow, and treatment is needed right away. Treatment could be as simple as giving the child more fluids or bringing them into the hospital.
“Lots of babies come to Children’s, and they get their blood drawn by our pediatric phlebotomists, who can draw little tiny babies, and then we can run that test really fast,” Delaney said. “It’s really important, because the pediatrician is going to take action on that. And if it’s high, then the pediatrician is going to tell that parent what to do next.”
The new technology will free up laboratory professionals to focus on complex testing or work with problem samples. Delaney added that while the machine can perform the standard work, there aren’t enough people working as medical technologists — bachelor’s-trained, certified lab scientists.
“So, it helps us make sure that we can keep doing what we do, even if we don’t always have enough staff, or planning for growth, while not necessarily having to hire a lot more staff to keep up with that growth,” she said.
As Children’s National grows and serves more children in the community, Delaney believes that the lab will have the excess capacity to handle more patients.
“It’s really cutting down the time,” Delaney said. “That’s really the story of this. It’s a triumph for our patients and our families. Our doctors are very happy because the results are even faster.”
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