How to Evaluate and Pick the Best Phlebotomy Solution in 2025

By Professor Kevin Moore

These days, with cutting-edge AI and robotic surgeries making headlines, it’s easy to overlook the foundational elements that sustain our medical system. Yet, as you step into any hospital or clinic, you’ll find that one of the most crucial – and often most frustrating – aspects of patient care remains stubbornly rooted in the past. I’m talking about phlebotomy – the simple act of drawing blood. Despite its vital role in diagnosis and treatment, phlebotomy solutions have lagged behind, creating a bottleneck that affects patients, healthcare providers, and the entire medical system.

Before I studied medicine I worked in pathology reception, receiving bagged blood samples and paper forms, centrifuging blood tubes and allocating them for analysis in the various stages of clinical biochemistry.  I was 18 years and I loved my work, but I could see it would be boring after a year or two, so I learnt how to use the analysers, and then as I progressed through medical school I would travel to Jean Shank’s  harley street laboratory every Saturday to run the clinical biochemistry profiles. In the 1970’s we had paper forms and hand labelled tubes, but ironically the same paper forms and hand-written tubes are used in the many community diagnostic centres throughout the UK.  This is because they are not connected to the multiple EPRs that send patients their way.  And as I have grown older and wiser as a Consultant Physician, I have witnessed how inefficient phlebotomy processes disrupt patient care and slows down the entire healthcare system.

Yet, despite its importance, errors in this area often go unreported and unaddressed. The study, conducted over eight months and involving over 11,000 patients, reveals a startling error rate of 3.1% in inpatient phlebotomy procedures. While this figure might seem small at first glance, it represents hundreds of potential missteps, and many errors are trivial, the data hide a significant minority where significant harm and death may occur if not detected and acted on.   t Perhaps most surprising is the discovery that trained staff were responsible for all major errors, challenging the assumption that experience alone is sufficient to prevent mistakes.  We know that many inpatients have the wrong blood samples assigned to their name giving an incorrect blood test result in the system.

In this article, I want to share my insights on what you should look for in phlebotomy solutions. 

The Current State of Phlebotomy and Its Challenges

Blood tests are the backbone of modern medicine. They provide valuable insights into a patient's health status, help diagnose diseases, monitor treatment progress, and guide clinical decision-making. As a hepatologist, I rely heavily on blood tests to assess liver function, detect early signs of liver disease, and monitor patients post-transplantation.

The process of obtaining these vital blood samples is often fraught with inefficiencies and outdated practices that can compromise patient care and strain healthcare resources. How can something so fundamental be so problematic?

The Primitive Nature of Current Phlebotomy Processes

The irony is that while we're making great strides in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) for diagnosis, our processes for something as basic as blood tests remain No Form Means No Test. Thus, most community diagnostic centres (CDCs) still rely on paper forms and manual labelling of blood tubes. This archaic approach stems from a lack of integration between reception systems and the various Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems serving the community.

The consequences of this disconnect are significant, and they likely affect you or someone you know. Due to the lack of integration, blood tubes often need to be relabelled upon arrival at the laboratory. In some places, this affects more than 4 out of 5 tubes, amounting to over 10,000 tubes per day in certain labs. This process is not only time-consuming but also introduces the risk of human errors.  We estimate that over 50 million tubes are manually re-labelled when they arrive in pathology each year in England alone.  Just imagine - the time, the waste, the cost, and the errors.

Your patients might have experienced the frustration of unnecessary travel for blood tests, even when closer options might be available. This inconvenience can lead to delayed or missed tests, potentially impacting diagnosis and treatment timelines. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 50% patients attending hospital phlebotomy would prefer to have their blood tests at their GP surgery, 35% at a pharmacy, and only 15% prefer the hospital. Clearly, there's a significant mismatch between patient preferences and current service provision.

Phlebotomy Impact on Patient Care and Healthcare Efficiency

These inefficiencies in the phlebotomy process have far-reaching consequences that we need to be aware of. Inefficient processes can lead to delays in obtaining blood test results, which in turn delays diagnosis and treatment initiation. In my field of hepatology, such delays can be particularly critical, potentially allowing conditions like liver cancer to progress undetected.

You might be shocked to learn about the wasted resources involved. The need for relabelling, duplicate tests, and manual data entry wastes significant time and materials. This not only increases costs but also diverts healthcare professionals' time away from patient care.

As a patient, you've likely experienced the inconvenience of travelling to specific locations, long wait times, and potentially needing repeat tests due to errors. All of these factors contribute to patient frustration and dissatisfaction with the healthcare system.

Perhaps most alarmingly, manual processes, especially in labelling and data entry, increase the risk of human errors. I once had to stand before a Coroner and explain that a blood test we had supposedly taken a week before, which may have led to a treatable diagnosis, never arrived in the lab. This tragic case of a 30-year-old woman who died due to delayed treatment shows the potential consequences of these systemic failures. We need to do better.

Features to Look for in Phlebotomy Solutions

So what should healthcare professionals look for in a modern phlebotomy solution? Based on my experience and the evolving needs of the healthcare system, here are the key features I believe are essential to consider:

1. Digital Integration and Paperless Workflow

The cornerstone of an effective phlebotomy solution should be its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing digital healthcare infrastructure. You should look for phlebotomy solutions that offer compatibility with various EPR systems to ensure widespread applicability across different healthcare settings. Digital blood forms should replace traditional paper forms, reducing the risk of loss or damage and improving accessibility for both you and your patients. A cloud-based architecture is crucial as it enables access from various locations and devices, facilitating more flexible and efficient workflows for you and your team.

2. Enhanced Patient Convenience and Choice

A good phlebotomy solution should prioritise patient convenience and preferences. You want a system that offers your patients multiple location options for blood draws. Look for systems that offer straightforward, digital appointment booking processes. Your patients should receive clear instructions and information about their blood tests.

3. Improved Blood Sample Tracking and Management

Efficient blood sample tracking is crucial for reducing errors and improving turnaround times. You need a phlebotomy solution that supports automatic generation and printing of barcode labels for blood tubes, reducing the risk of mislabelling. As a healthcare provider, you should be able to track the status of blood samples from collection to analysis in real-time. Integration with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) is essential to ensure smooth transfer of information between the point of collection and the laboratory.

4. Automation and Error Reduction

You should look for features that automate manual processes and reduce the potential for human error. An ideal phlebotomy solution should be able to automatically generate test requests based on patient conditions and clinical guidelines. It should also identify and prevent unnecessary duplicate tests, saving resources and reducing patient discomfort. For your patients with chronic conditions requiring regular testing, the phlebotomy solution should be able to generate automated reminders and test requests.

5. Data Analytics and Reporting

A comprehensive phlebotomy solution should offer robust data analytics capabilities. You want a system that provides insights into key performance indicators such as turnaround times, patient satisfaction, etc.

6. Flexibility and Scalability

The solution you choose should be adaptable to changing healthcare needs. You need a phlebotomy solution that allows for customisation to fit the specific needs of different healthcare settings. It should be able to handle increasing volumes of tests and expand to new locations as your needs grow. Look for solutions that are regularly updated to adapt to changing healthcare regulations.

Why ONE Testing by Salutare is the Best Phlebotomy Solution

Now that you know what to look for, let me explain why I believe ONE Testing by Salutare is currently the best phlebotomy solution on the market. As one of the co-founders of Salutare, I've been intimately involved in its development, and I've seen firsthand how it addresses the challenges we face in phlebotomy processes.

ONE Testing excels in its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing healthcare IT infrastructure. It uses a cloud-based platform that amalgamates requests into one place, making it accessible from various locations and devices. What's more, it works with what you already have, offering simple connections to your existing EPR and LIMS systems. ONE Testing sends digital blood forms directly to patients, eliminating the need for paper forms and reducing the risk of lost or damaged requests.

When it comes to enhancing patient experience, ONE Testing significantly improves the process in several ways. Your patients will have more options for blood test locations, including local pharmacies, reducing reliance on hospital-only services. They'll receive digital blood forms directly via email and text, along with a QR code and a link to the appointment portal. By streamlining the process, ONE Testing significantly reduces the time from consultation to blood test results. In the example of Aisha's story, which I often use to illustrate the benefits, the time from consultation to results was reduced from 5 weeks to just 2 days.  Of course this shows a worst to best case scenario, but something in between is the norm.

ONE Testing offers advanced features for sample management that you'll find invaluable. Our phlebotomy solution enables pharmacies and other collection points to print and apply laboratory-compliant labels to blood tubes, reducing mislabelling errors. While many systems don't track samples until they reach the laboratory, ONE Testing allows for real-time tracking of samples throughout the process.

You'll appreciate how ONE Testing incorporates several features to reduce errors and improve efficiency. By eliminating manual labelling, it halves the phlebotomy time from 4-6 minutes to 2-3 minutes per patient. The system cuts out mislabeling, ensuring samples go straight to analysers without the need for relabelling at the laboratory. ONE Testing also helps remove duplicate test requests, avoiding paying for tests to be done twice on the same blood sample. This can save up to 5% of your pathology budget for consumables and more.

ONE Testing is designed to be flexible and adaptable to various healthcare settings. You can use it in hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacies, and even for domiciliary care, opening up more reliable community phlebotomy options. As a cloud-based solution, ONE Testing can easily scale to accommodate your increasing volumes and new locations.

For your patients with chronic conditions requiring frequent blood tests, ONE Testing offers significant benefits. The ONE Monitor feature can monitor multiple conditions with automated requesting of blood tests as needed. For patients with multiple co-morbidities, ONE Monitor amalgamates and simplifies testing, ensuring all necessary tests are done at once with de-duplication.

You'll also be pleased to know that ONE Testing contributes to reducing the healthcare system's carbon footprint. By offering more local options for blood tests, the system reduces unnecessary patient travel. The digital nature of ONE Testing eliminates the need for paper forms, reducing paper waste.

Real-World Impact of ONE Testing Phlebotomy Solution

To truly understand the value of ONE Testing, it's important for you to consider its real-world impact. While we're still in the early stages of widespread implementation, we've already seen significant improvements in several areas that directly affect you and your patients.

The increased choice and convenience offered by ONE Testing have led to notable improvements in patient satisfaction. Your patients will appreciate the ability to have their blood drawn at locations closer to home, and the digital blood form process has eliminated the frustration of lost or forgotten paper forms.

As a healthcare provider, you'll experience significant time savings. The elimination of manual labelling alone has doubled the efficiency of phlebotomists, allowing them to see more patients in less time. This means you can provide better care to more patients.

While comprehensive data is still being collected, early indicators suggest a significant reduction in labelling errors and lost samples. This not only improves patient safety but also reduces the need for repeat tests, saving time and resources for both you and your patients.

The streamlined process from test request to results has led to faster turnaround times. This is particularly crucial in cases where early diagnosis can significantly impact treatment outcomes. As a hepatologist, I've seen how this can make a real difference in catching and treating liver conditions before they progress to more serious stages. You'll be able to make quicker, more informed decisions about your patients' care.

Fully Digital Phlebotomy Solutions: Future Directions and Potential

I see tremendous potential for digital phlebotomy solutions to transform healthcare delivery in ways that will benefit you and your patients.

While ONE Testing isn't currently being used in clinical trials, its potential in this area is significant. The ability to accurately date and time-stamp samples could solve the problem of unreliable manual recording in pharmacokinetic studies, enhancing the integrity of trial data. If you're involved in research, you can imagine how this could revolutionise the way clinical trials are conducted.

The aggregated, anonymised data from widespread use of phlebotomy solutions like ONE Testing could provide valuable insights into public health trends, allowing for more proactive and targeted healthcare interventions. This could help us make more informed decisions about population health management.

Integration of AI and machine learning technologies with digital phlebotomy solutions could lead to even more intelligent test ordering, predictive analytics for patient health, and optimisation of healthcare resources. This could significantly enhance your ability to provide personalised, proactive care to your patients.

Summary

As a medical professional with over two decades of experience in the NHS, I've seen firsthand the challenges posed by outdated phlebotomy processes.

Remember, when considering phlebotomy solutions for your healthcare setting, look for those that offer comprehensive digital integration, enhance patient experience, improve sample management, reduce errors, provide flexibility for future growth, and increases efficiency and cost savings. In my professional opinion, ONE Testing by Salutare ticks all these boxes and more, making it the standout choice in today's market.

I encourage you to embrace fully digital phlebotomy solutions and work together with us to create a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare system. After all, as I like to say, it's time for all of us to be Healthcareful®!

About the Author

Dr. Kevin Moore is a Liver Expert for the Courts, where he provides an independent opinion on the care provided by other doctors. As a Professor of Hepatology and Clinical Pharmacologist at University College London, his expertise in drug safety monitoring and adherence to national guidelines provides a unique perspective on the healthcare system's successes and failures. With over two decades of specialized experience in liver transplantation and general hepatology, he brings substantial clinical and academic authority to both patient care and medical-legal evaluations, along with a keen understanding of the practical challenges facing modern healthcare delivery.   

Kevin Moore at UCL, Royal Free has authored over 100 research papers with an H index of 64 and is the author of the Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine.

Time to be Healthcareful®