Improving turnaround times with artificial intelligence in microbiology.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Medical Diagnostics
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Background:

• Microbiology laboratory automation is advancing with artificial intelligence (AI).
• PhenoMATRIX (PM) is an AI-based software designed for continuous urine culture sorting and result interpretation.
• Evaluating AI's impact on diagnostic laboratory turnaround times is crucial for improving patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effect of AI-driven software (PhenoMATRIX) on urine culture turnaround times in Canadian diagnostic laboratories.
• To compare the impact of AI implementation in different laboratory settings (tertiary care vs. community).
• To identify factors influencing the reduction of time to result reporting (TTRR) with AI integration.

Main Methods:

• A dual-center study was conducted in Canadian diagnostic laboratories.
• Data on urine culture turnaround times were collected before and after AI implementation.
• PhenoMATRIX software was implemented, with and without automated result release (PM+).

Main Results:

• AI implementation enabled earlier availability of interpretable urine culture results in both centers.
• Automated result release with PM+ at a tertiary care site reduced TTRR by approximately 1.3 hours.
• Optimized manual screening workflows at a community lab improved TTRR by approximately 5.3 hours.

Conclusions:

• AI-driven urine culture assessment effectively reduces time to result reporting (TTRR).
• Timely result release, achieved through automated reporting or optimized workflows, is essential for maximizing AI benefits.
• AI and laboratory automation represent a significant advancement for clinical microbiology laboratories, applicable across various settings.