--- title: Molecular & Serology Blog | M&S description: M&S | Molecular & Serology Blog --- ![logo](https://seracare.com/Content/themes/Skin_Default/images/lgc_logo.png) SeraCare is part of LGC Clinical Diagnostics - [Learn More](https://www.lgcclinicaldiagnostics.com/) [![SeraCare](https://blog.seracare.com/hs-fs/hubfs/0.%20Logos/SeraCare/SeraCare.png?width=400&name=SeraCare.png "SeraCare")](https://www.seracare.com) - [Home](https://blog.seracare.com/ngs) - [About](https://digital.seracare.com/about-blog) - [News and Events](http://www.seracare.com/NewsEvents/NewsCenter/tabid/354/Default.aspx) - [Contact](http://www.seracare.com/Contact/tabid/366/Default.aspx) ## [Diagnostic Precision](https://blog.seracare.com/) A SeraCare blog focused on precision medicine and advanced clinical diagnostics Choose your Article Focus | [NGS](https://blog.seracare.com/ngs) | [Molecular & Serology](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog) ## [For Clinical Labs: Avoid False-Positives and Negatives by Being a Control Freak](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/for-clinical-labs-avoid-false-positives-and-negatives-by-being-a-control-freak) Category: [M&S](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/ms) Posted by [Eric Morreale, PhD](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/author/eric-morreale-phd) on Nov 26, 2019 12:00:00 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.seracare.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/static_scientificamerican_comblogscachefile5EE1BB90-E73C-4C3A-B5F056B02A78F7AF-1.jpg)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/for-clinical-labs-avoid-false-positives-and-negatives-by-being-a-control-freak) Do you consider yourself a control freak? And by control, we mean quality control - the procedures and materials implemented to ensure test accuracy and precision. Most importantly, having the proper controls in place provides confidence in the accuracy of your tests and the reported results, reducing the risk of generating false-positives or false-negatives. A strong quality program has the added benefits of reducing both the amount of valuable staff time expended on troubleshooting, as well as costly instrument and assay downtime. [Read More](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/for-clinical-labs-avoid-false-positives-and-negatives-by-being-a-control-freak) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/for-clinical-labs-avoid-false-positives-and-negatives-by-being-a-control-freak#comments-listing) ## [How Third-Party Controls Can Help Keep Your Clinical Lab Within Budget (Without Sacrificing Quality)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/how-third-party-controls-can-help-keep-your-clinical-lab-within-budget-without-sacrificing-quality) Category: [M&S](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/ms) Posted by [Eric Morreale, PhD](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/author/eric-morreale-phd) on Nov 19, 2019 12:00:00 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.seracare.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/clinicalomics_comfilegetimage2092-1.jpeg)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/how-third-party-controls-can-help-keep-your-clinical-lab-within-budget-without-sacrificing-quality) As a clinical lab director, you are driven by two forces which, at first glance, may seem in opposition to each other. The first is your commitment to delivering accurate diagnostic test results to healthcare providers, a responsibility critical to ensuring that patients receive the most effective and timely treatment possible. In your lab, this means instituting a strong quality control (QC) program aimed at ensuring test performance and preventing the release of inaccurate results. The second driving force is the responsibility you have towards to running an efficient, cost-effective clinical lab operation. This entails the responsibility to manage resources efficiently, to stay within allotted budget guidelines, and to avoid unnecessary spending. The obvious assumption is that higher quality translates into higher costs (and bigger budgets). Look closer, however, and you’ll discover that the two forces outlined above are not necessarily opposed. As you’ll see below, increasing accuracy and reliability in a clinical testing lab — through investment in additional QC measures, such as high-quality third-party controls — can actually translate into decreasing costs. Staying within budget and providing reliable results can go hand in hand. [Read More](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/how-third-party-controls-can-help-keep-your-clinical-lab-within-budget-without-sacrificing-quality) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/how-third-party-controls-can-help-keep-your-clinical-lab-within-budget-without-sacrificing-quality#comments-listing) ## [3 Tips for Reducing Test Repeats and Lab Downtime](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/3-tips-for-reducing-test-repeats-and-lab-downtime) Category: [M&S](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/ms) Posted by [Eric Morreale, PhD](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/author/eric-morreale-phd) on Nov 12, 2019 12:00:00 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.seracare.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/www_cidrap_umn_edusitesdefaultfilespublicstylesthumbnailpublicimagesnewsun0228948-1.jpg)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/3-tips-for-reducing-test-repeats-and-lab-downtime) The world of a clinical testing lab is one of high pressure. The pressure comes from clinicians who want their results as quickly as possible. It comes from directors and managers who demand efficiency. And most of all, it comes from a constant stream of samples that never lets up. In this era of largely automated instrumentation (operating almost always at full capacity), few things are more frustrating to lab personnel than errors that result in downtime, troubleshooting, and the need to rerun tests. Reportable results is the most important metric in a clinical lab. Any result that is not reportable translates into higher costs, more downtime, and a growing backlog. What can you do to reduce momentum-killing test failures and repeats while increasing your reportable result rates? [Read More](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/3-tips-for-reducing-test-repeats-and-lab-downtime) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/3-tips-for-reducing-test-repeats-and-lab-downtime#comments-listing) ## [For Clinical Labs: How to Ensure a Consistent Supply of High Quality Reference Materials](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/for-clinical-labs-ensure-access-to-reference-materials) Category: [M&S](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/ms) Posted by [Eric Morreale, PhD](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/author/eric-morreale-phd) on Oct 29, 2019 12:00:00 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Healthcare is — to put it mildly — unpredictable. You never know when testing demands will change due to a disease outbreak, or a shift in medical consensus. Thus, clinical labs operate with a basic mindset: be prepared. [Read More](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/for-clinical-labs-ensure-access-to-reference-materials) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/for-clinical-labs-ensure-access-to-reference-materials#comments-listing) [All posts](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/all) ### Subscribe Here!   [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20300467/538d26d7-6bf8-4208-9dad-6a783db06a0c.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20300467/538d26d7-6bf8-4208-9dad-6a783db06a0c) ### Posts by Tag - [Molecular & Serology (12)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/molecular-serology) - [Accuplex (6)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/accuplex) - [Blog (6)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/blog) - [M&S (4)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/ms) - [SARS-CoV-2 (2)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/sars-cov-2) - [zika virus (2)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/zika-virus) - [COVID-19 (1)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/covid-19) - [Disease trends (1)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/disease-trends) - [clinical genomics (1)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/clinical-genomics) - [ebola (1)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/ebola) - [listeria (1)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/listeria) - [reference materials (1)](https://blog.seracare.com/molecular-serology-blog/tag/reference-materials) See all ### Recent Posts **About SeraCare** With over 30 years of experience as a leading partner to global in vitro diagnostics manufacturers and clinical testing laboratories, SeraCare’s clinical genomics technologies enable the promise of precision medicine by helping scientists and clinicians build and implement better clinical genomics assays. [Learn More](http://www.seracare.com/Company/WhoWeAre/tabid/335/Default.aspx)    - - - [Privacy Policy](http://www.seracare.com/PrivacyPolicy/tabid/211/Default.aspx)  |  [Legal Statement ](http://www.seracare.com/LegalStatement/tabid/212/Default.aspx) **Learn More** [Home](http://seracare.com/)  [About Us](http://seracare.com/Company/WhoWeAre/tabid/335/Default.aspx) [News and Events](http://www.seracare.com/NewsEvents/NewsCenter/tabid/354/Default.aspx)  [Blog](https://blog.seracare.com/)  [Contact](http://seracare.com/Contact/tabid/366/Default.aspx)  ![LGC+Marine-logo-FINAL-teal](https://blog.seracare.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1.%20Logos/LGC+Marine-logo-FINAL-teal.png?width=150&name=LGC+Marine-logo-FINAL-teal.png) 37 Birch Street Milford, MA 01757 [508-244-6400](tel:508-244-6400) l [800-676-1881](tel:800-676-1881) [info@seracare.com](mailto:info@seracare.com) ©2017 SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc. - [About SeraCare](http://www.seracare.com/Company/WhoWeAre/tabid/335/Default.aspx) - [Learn More](http://seracare.com/) - 37 Birch Street Milford, MA 01757 - Google Maps - 508-244-6400 - 508-634-3334 Fax - - - ![logo](https://blog.seracare.com/hubfs/logo.png "logo") 37 Birch Street Milford, MA 01757 508-244-6400 508-634-3334 Fax #### Products #### SeraCare #### Support & Resources - NGS & Digital PCR Tools - Controls & Reference Materials - Validation & Qualification Materials - Plasma & Serum Diluents & Derivatives - Cell Culture Reagents - KPL Antibodies & Conjugates - KPL Immunoassay Reagents & Kits - About Us - Careers - Press Releases - News Articles - Quality Systems - Terms & Conditions - Privacy Policy & Legal Statement - Register for an Account - Contact Us - Sign In - Resource Library - FAQs - Scientific Posters - White Papers - Videos