Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health Surveillance
Many new innovative diagnostic approaches have been made available during the last 10 years with major impact on patient care and public health surveillance. In parallel, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of the clinical microbiology laboratories (CMLs), European laboratory professionals have stream...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmed.2018.00015/full |
| _version_ | 1828524655465463808 |
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| author | Olivier Vandenberg Olivier Vandenberg Olivier Vandenberg Zisis Kozlakidis Zisis Kozlakidis Jacques Schrenzel Jacques Schrenzel Marc Jean Struelens Judith Breuer |
| author_facet | Olivier Vandenberg Olivier Vandenberg Olivier Vandenberg Zisis Kozlakidis Zisis Kozlakidis Jacques Schrenzel Jacques Schrenzel Marc Jean Struelens Judith Breuer |
| author_sort | Olivier Vandenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many new innovative diagnostic approaches have been made available during the last 10 years with major impact on patient care and public health surveillance. In parallel, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of the clinical microbiology laboratories (CMLs), European laboratory professionals have streamlined their organization leading to amalgamation of activities and restructuring of their professional relationships with clinicians and public health specialists. Through this consolidation process, an operational model has emerged that combines large centralized clinical laboratories performing most tests on one high-throughput analytical platform connected to several distal laboratories dealing locally with urgent analyses at near point of care. The centralization of diagnostic services over a large geographical region has given rise to the concept of regional-scale “microbiology laboratories network.” Although the volume-driven cost savings associated with such laboratory networks seem self-evident, the consequence(s) for the quality of patient care and infectious disease surveillance and control remain less obvious. In this article, we describe the range of opportunities that the changing landscape of CMLs in Europe can contribute toward improving the quality of patient care but also the early detection and enhanced surveillance of public health threats caused by infectious diseases. The success of this transformation of health services is reliant on the appropriate preparation in terms of staff, skills, and processes that would be inclusive of stakeholders. In addition, rigorous metrics are needed to set out more concrete laboratory service performance objectives and assess the expected benefits to society in terms of saving lives and preventing diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:51:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca162ec344664db397ffb3306731003f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:51:44Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca162ec344664db397ffb3306731003f2022-12-22T00:51:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2018-02-01510.3389/fmed.2018.00015327688Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health SurveillanceOlivier Vandenberg0Olivier Vandenberg1Olivier Vandenberg2Zisis Kozlakidis3Zisis Kozlakidis4Jacques Schrenzel5Jacques Schrenzel6Marc Jean Struelens7Judith Breuer8Innovation and Business Development Unit, LHUB-ULB, Pôle Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, BelgiumCentre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, BelgiumDivision of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United KingdomDivision of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United KingdomThe Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, University College London, London, United KingdomGenomic Research Laboratory, Service of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, SwitzerlandBacteriology Laboratory, Service of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Genetics and Laboratory Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, SwitzerlandMicrobiology Coordination Section, Office of the Chief Scientist, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, SwedenDivision of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United KingdomMany new innovative diagnostic approaches have been made available during the last 10 years with major impact on patient care and public health surveillance. In parallel, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of the clinical microbiology laboratories (CMLs), European laboratory professionals have streamlined their organization leading to amalgamation of activities and restructuring of their professional relationships with clinicians and public health specialists. Through this consolidation process, an operational model has emerged that combines large centralized clinical laboratories performing most tests on one high-throughput analytical platform connected to several distal laboratories dealing locally with urgent analyses at near point of care. The centralization of diagnostic services over a large geographical region has given rise to the concept of regional-scale “microbiology laboratories network.” Although the volume-driven cost savings associated with such laboratory networks seem self-evident, the consequence(s) for the quality of patient care and infectious disease surveillance and control remain less obvious. In this article, we describe the range of opportunities that the changing landscape of CMLs in Europe can contribute toward improving the quality of patient care but also the early detection and enhanced surveillance of public health threats caused by infectious diseases. The success of this transformation of health services is reliant on the appropriate preparation in terms of staff, skills, and processes that would be inclusive of stakeholders. In addition, rigorous metrics are needed to set out more concrete laboratory service performance objectives and assess the expected benefits to society in terms of saving lives and preventing diseases.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmed.2018.00015/fullclinical microbiologyconsolidation of laboratory serviceclinical impactinfectious diseases surveillancepublic health |
| spellingShingle | Olivier Vandenberg Olivier Vandenberg Olivier Vandenberg Zisis Kozlakidis Zisis Kozlakidis Jacques Schrenzel Jacques Schrenzel Marc Jean Struelens Judith Breuer Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health Surveillance Frontiers in Medicine clinical microbiology consolidation of laboratory service clinical impact infectious diseases surveillance public health |
| title | Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health Surveillance |
| title_full | Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health Surveillance |
| title_fullStr | Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health Surveillance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health Surveillance |
| title_short | Control of Infectious Diseases in the Era of European Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Consolidation: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Patient and for Public Health Surveillance |
| title_sort | control of infectious diseases in the era of european clinical microbiology laboratory consolidation new challenges and opportunities for the patient and for public health surveillance |
| topic | clinical microbiology consolidation of laboratory service clinical impact infectious diseases surveillance public health |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmed.2018.00015/full |
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