Four concepts that define the framework

Before laboratory analysis can occur, a specimen must first be successfully obtained.

This stage includes:

• specimen collection attempts
• patient and workflow conditions
• factors affecting collection success

Access Before Analysis™ examines this stage directly.

Not all encounters result in successful specimen collection.

Access variability may occur due to:

• patient age or developmental needs
• clinical workflow conditions
• escalation during collection attempts
• environmental or staffing factors

Understanding this variability can help clarify workflow challenges.

When specimen access is difficult, escalation may occur.

Examples include:

• multiple collection attempts
• additional staff support
• deferred testing
• abandoned collection

Documenting these patterns provides insight into how encounters evolve in real clinical settings.

Some encounters result in no specimen at all.

These events often do not appear in traditional laboratory metrics, which only capture completed specimens.

This framework helps bring visibility to these missing encounters.

This work generates observational insight—not analytic comparison.

Outputs may include:

• Documentation of specimen acquisition outcomes
• Identification of escalation points
• Characterization of encounters where no specimen is obtained
• Observations to inform workflow improvement

Access Before Analysis™ is intentionally scoped.

This work:

• Does not compare devices
• Does not evaluate analytes
• Does not alter clinical protocols
• Does not function as a clinical trial

It is strictly observational, designed to characterize pre-analytic access variability.

When specimen access fails, downstream diagnostic processes cannot begin.

These encounters may represent:

• delayed diagnostics
• additional patient visits
• workflow burden
• missed measurement opportunities

By documenting the upstream pre-analytic layer, organizations gain a clearer understanding of where improvement efforts may begin.