Bumrungrad Laboratory provides a comprehensive range of services meeting the medical needs of quaternary care hospitals. The Lab is divided into the following units: Clinical Chemistry Unit, Immunology unit, Hematology unit, Molecular Biology and Microbiology Unit, Blood bank unit, Toxicology Unit, Surgical Pathology Unit, Point of Care Testing (POCT) unit, Referral laboratory services, Clinical Genomics unit, and Research and Development unit. Staffed with more than 100 specialists in pertinent fields, the Lab offers over 1,500 lab services, performing more than three million tests per year.
The only private hospital laboratory in Thailand to provide genomics testing services with the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology, it provides a full range of services including the Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) to screen for chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus by testing the mother’s blood, and the Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP), a single assay to detect mutated cancer genes by both tissue biopsy and liquid biopsy for personalized cancer medicine.
Bumrungrad Laboratory is always committed to developing and delivering innovative diagnostic tests of high accuracy and precision to our service recipients. With a systematic and efficient management system, the Lab has continuously enjoyed international medical laboratory recognitions, including the International Organization for Standardization 15189 (ISO 15189) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) lab accreditation.
It is known that over 70% of current medical decisions are based on laboratory results. This means that laboratory results play an important role in the diagnostic process, health care, and patient care and support both in prevention and treatment. Consequently, accurate and timely laboratory results are essential for doctors in making a diagnosis or devising a health care plan that is right on point, effective, and timely for patients.
- Use of advanced technology in testing – Our hospital laboratory is of high standard, using advanced technology, offering a diverse and comprehensive range of testing, with over 1,500 testing services on the list.
- Accurate and Fast Test Results – We provide accurate, precise, and fast diagnostic results for service recipients.
- Multidisciplinary teams - We provide consultations by oncologists and licensed medical laboratory technologists, personnel are licensed to practice medical techniques. The Lab is staffed with over 100 specialists in various fields, including Ph.D. holders, those trained in Genetic Counseling Program, those with Point-of-Care Specialist Certificate, and those with Fundamentals of Molecular Pathology Certificate from the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC).
- Laboratory of international standards – As the first and the only private hospital in Thailand to earn international accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for our medical laboratory, we have been enjoying the recognition since 2016. And so far we have also been continuously accredited with ISO 15189 and ISO 15190 for medical laboratories and ISO 22870 for point of care testing.
- A focus on quality research and development – We have an innovative research and development team who work continuously on testing in support of treatment and care of patients.
1. ONCOMINE Cancer gene detection program for targeted therapies
2. Genetic screening for health conditions
3. Comprehensive genetic health screen using Whole Exome Sequencing is the proactive genetic testing that predicts the risk of hereditary cancer, cardio, and other associated conditions and the complete drug-genes related to hypersensitivity & metabolism covering more than 150 prescribed drugs
4. Advanced Lipid Profile, a test used to assess the risk of coronary artery diseases
5. Pharmacogenomic testing, for medication adjustment
6. Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) to screen for chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus by testing the mother’s blood
7. Micronutrient testing, to assess nutritional balance and identify deficiencies of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
1. Automation at work for maximum efficiency
Managing a laboratory with the aim to achieve optimum performance is a huge challenge. Accurate and rapid diagnostic results are very important to patients.
The large size of the laboratory and the large number of tests performed are major factors affecting the accuracy and speed of the test results. Realizing the situation, Bumrungrad Laboratory turned to the Total Laboratory Automation System (TLA) in 2007, when it was used for the first time in Thailand, in the hospital’s Clinical Chemistry Unit and Immunology Unit. Automation of the laboratory work has been continuously developed and now established in all units.
In the TLA System are the automatic analyzer and the track system to transport specimens, connecting multiple instruments. This makes it possible to run multiple sample analyzes at once
This system can replace the human operator in preparing and analyzing samples, allowing laboratories to expand their analytical capabilities by leaps and bounds. At the same time, unnecessary steps, where errors could occur, are eliminated. As a result, unnecessary costs of laboratory testing as well as the turnaround time for lab results are markedly reduced.
2. Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) for the laboratory of the future
Determined to deliver highly accurate and precise analytical work results to service recipients, the Lab has consistently brought in modern technology and artificial intelligence (AI) for use in their diagnostic work development efforts, in addition to the TLA system. Major innovations in place include the following:
1) An innovative, fully integrated POCT management system: Bumrungrad's Point of Care Testing (POCT) Unit has been providing POCT testing for decades. More than 70 pieces of medical analysis equipment are available at various points of care all over the hospital for six testing services. With an average of 400 tests performed each day, more than 800 nurses provide testing under the supervision a sole POCC (Point-of-care-Coordinator), who manages the system and ensures that it works according to international standards. With more work and more service users but merely one coordinator, the Lab has now installed the Single POCT management system or POCT Middleware to improve the procedure and efficiency. The Middleware is connected to 1) Electronic Medical Record System (HIS-TrakCare), 2) all POCT equipment, 3) E-learning teaching system 4) and Human resource system
This is the first time in Asia-Pacific that the POCT Middleware has been implemented and put into real use to make the POCT system fully integrated. It ensures accurate data is transmitted from the medical analysis equipment to the TrakCare system in real time without errors. It enables doctors to immediately plan for patient treatment and care. In addition, testing time is reduced by more than 50% while mistakes eliminated and the whole procedure streamlined. It supports the increased workload, while speeding up the authorization for operators trained through the E-Learning system. It thus also reduces the loss of revenue incurred from testing run on the equipment that is not linked to the hospital's financial system. It can be seen that this Single POCT Middleware system is not only beneficial to doctors and patients, but also to operators and the hospital.
2) Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Blood Cell Analysis: The Hematology Unit of Bumrungrad Laboratory uses AI to interpret blood cell types from images. It is the first technology to feature automated blood cell counts and use digital images of blood cells in combination with artificial intelligence technology in the analysis and interpretation of blood cells. With this innovation, medical technologists can accurately distinguish complex abnormal cells and doctors can make a diagnosis and make decisions in treating patients with hematological disorders.
3) ANA testing for autoimmune diseases: Antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests are important tests in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases. Bumrungrad Laboratory has introduced automated analysis and classification systems in this testing. The system can take fluorescence images under a microscope, store them, as well as recognize and analyze the patterns of the fluorescence cells tested. This allows medical technologists to interpret test results quickly and accurately.
4) Digital Microbiology: The Microbiology Unit of Bumrungrad Laboratory is the first laboratory in Thailand to use digital systems in managing testing processes in microbiology from start to finish. All the microbiology analyzers, with all the microbiology tests done, are connected to the HIS-TrakCare system. Included in the testing processes are microbial culture and identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, etc.
A major benefit of digital microbiology is the delivery of excellent services to doctors and patients. Doctors can access test results more quickly and more easily, thus allowing timely treatment for maximum patient safety. In addition, minimize errors in the lab reports and testing costs are reduced. With work steps cut down by 31%, the digital system has helped save 2-3 hours a day.
5) Automated Next Generation Sequencing (NGS): The Laboratory's Clinical Genomics unit has introduced the Ion Torrent Genexus System, the first and the only Automated Next Generation Sequencing system in Thailand. It is used to find mutated genes that cause cancer so that the best and most suitable treatment plan for individual patients, following personalized cancer medicine, can be made. Providing an end-to-end automated workflow, the system can prepare DNA templates, read genetic sequence and analyze the test results in this single system within a short period of time.
The benefit of using the system is that work steps, testing time, errors, as well as turnaround time for lab results are all cut down. Of note is the turnaround time, what took one month before now takes only three days. With the test results available to doctors quickly, doctors can plan treatment in a timely manner, increasing the chances of survival of cancer patients.
6) Genetic testing for medication safety: Realizing the importance of proper and safe medication use, Bumrungrad Hospital relies on current knowledge in pharmacogenomics, which can predict the appropriate drug type and dose based on individual genes. There is thus testing for genetic variants that affect drug response. Quick and easy, the testing process requires no blood draw. The lab needs only a cotton swab in the cheek. The test results are then incorporated in the TrakCare system, which notifies or alerts doctors so they can make prescriptions befitting personalized medicine. This enhances treatment benefit and reduces undesirable effects of drugs in patients.
Bumrungrad Laboratory Innovations & Technology
Bumrungrad Laboratory are systematically and efficiently managed as is clearly shown in continuous accreditation of international medical laboratories including the following:
1. International Organization for Standardization: ISO 15189 - medical laboratory quality certification (since 2007 to present)
2. International Organization for Standardization: ISO 22870 - Point-of-care testing (POCT) certification (2014 to present);
the first and only private hospital laboratory in Thailand awarded this recognition
3. International Organization for Standardization: ISO 15190 - medical laboratory safety certification (since 2014 to present)
4. The College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation The CAP is a leading organization of pathologists that helps promote and support excellence in clinical pathology and laboratory medicine practice worldwide. The first and only private hospital laboratory in Thailand to be accredited by the American College of Pathologists (CAP), Bumrungrad Laboratory was first certified in 2016, and has been continuously recognized up to this day.
For more information:
Tel.
02 011 4158 (08.00 - 20.00)
Email:
[email protected]