The Critical Role Of Sample Tracking

By Jeff Mayhew, Chief Development Officer, LabConnect

Research and clinical studies have become increasingly complex over the last decade.  With new technologies, scientific discoveries and enhanced global accessibility, the industry has been able to expand their studies on a worldwide basis while at the same time enhancing the specificity of their desired endpoints.  The industry has also expanded its scope to focus on more than just diseases that inflict large populations and has embraced such challenges as orphan drugs and personalized medicine. 

These new developments impact the size and speed at which these studies can be conducted.  As a result, there has been a marked increase in the number and type of samples that are collected as well as logistical challenges as samples are being shipped and tested by more specialized laboratories, frequently on a global scale. But most notably, due to the direction the industry has taken and the nature of the studies, the value of a single sample has increased tremendously shifting the focus of sample management from one of a maintenance procedure to a dedicated investment ensuring the integrity, organization and safety of all samples.