WHY SHOULD FACILITIES CONSIDER A DRIVE-UP OPTION?

Offering a drive-up or drive-through service can benefit patients, providers and the lab itself. These benefits include:

• Convenience: Patients can get lab tests performed or receive services, like vaccines or boosters, without leaving their vehicles. This flexibility makes labs more accessible for patients while also enabling them to complete their lab appointments with minimal disruption to their day.
• Reduced contact: A drive-through or drive-up lab minimizes direct contact between patients and staff, reducing the risk of spreading infections or illnesses. This advantage is especially beneficial during flu seasons or in pandemics because it helps protect both patients and lab employees.
• Efficiency: A drive through or drive up can streamline lab processes, potentially reducing wait times and improving overall output. Optimizing processes and workflows allows labs to serve more patients in a shorter time frame, maximizing their operational capacity.
• Business differentiation: A drive up is a welcome service that can distinguish the lab from competitors, enhancing the lab’s reputation and brand perception among patients. Offering a drive-up service can attract new patients and retain current ones who prioritize convenience, which supports business growth.

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTING A DRIVE-THROUGH LAB?

Adding a drive-through service can be expensive, depending on the current building architecture and infrastructure. That’s why labs interested in offering this service must first examine their building requirements and determine if it’s logistically and structurally possible to provide a drive-through capability in the existing facility.
 
New construction may be a better option because it allows labs to make a drive through part of the initial building design, while a drive up may also be a good option because it does not require any changes to the building structure. In either case, lab stakeholders must make a business case to determine if the service makes financial sense by delivering a strong return on investment.
 
Once lab decision makers validate a business case, they must identify the tools, technologies and equipment needed to perform tests quickly and interact with patients. While these may be similar to, or in some cases identical to, equipment used in traditional labs, technology may be needed to communicate with patients in their vehicles and ensure efficiency for fast results.
 
Drive-through and drive-up labs must provide clear directions for traffic flows in addition to clear directions for sample collection and result retrieval. They must also have staffing to support this clinical model. Plus, like any healthcare facility, they must ensure data privacy and secure patient samples.

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR DRIVE-UP AND DRIVE-THROUGH SERVICES

While a drive-through or drive-up option can offer significant benefits with convenience, accessibility and reduced contact between staff and patients, it also requires careful planning and significant investment to overcome logistical challenges and ensure regulatory compliance. A group purchasing organization (GPO) like Provista can help.
 
GPOs offer industry-leading contracts with supplier organizations that can make an efficient drive-through or drive-up model possible. For example, Provista contracts cover every aspect of implementing these types of labs, including designing and building or remodeling the facility, procuring the equipment that’s needed and providing the ongoing supplies required. That’s why exploring the possibilities of a modern drive-through or drive-up lap should start by having a conversation with a GPO.