B-047 The impact of cobas 5800/6800 molecular system in the operational costs of high-throughput laboratories in Brazil

Background The demand for high-throughput molecular solutions in infectious diseases testing within high-performance laboratories is escalating. Economically sustainable molecular testing is crucial for ensuring effective public health management and patient care. As laboratories face increasing specimen volumes and complex diagnostic needs, leveraging cost-efficient, automated molecular platforms becomes imperative. These solutions facilitate rapid, accurate pathogen detection, thereby optimizing resource allocation and minimizing operational expenses. The integration of economically viable high-throughput molecular systems supports sustained diagnostic excellence and accessibility, ultimately enhancing healthcare outcomes and delivering long-term value in resource-constrained environments. This study evaluated the impact of cobas® 5800/6800 automated and integrated molecular systems on operational costs in Stopping Time, and Manual Data Management compared to previous molecular platforms in a high-throughput lab in Brazil. Methods Laboratory internal performance data were reviewed to collect the number of unplanned stops and manual data management for a total of 81,302 tests, including HIV (n=11,907), CMV (n=2,656), HPV (n=12,233), and CT/NG (n=54,506), conducted on three cobas® 5800 instruments and one cobas® 6800 instrument. The analysis was conducted considering a three-month period between May and July 2024 when the cobas® 5800/6800 was installed at full automation and integrated with lab management through the system*s digital solutions. Comparative data were obtained from the same period in 2023 when 58,788 tests—HIV (n=9,374), CMV (n=2,875), HPV (n=19,801), and CT/NG (n=26,698)—were performed using previous platforms at full potential. The operational costs involved in the parameters evaluated in the study were estimated considering the cost of manual activities of the Lab’s staff (BRL 31.73/Int$ 12.69). The Brazilian Real values were converted to International Dollars using the latest Purchasing Power Parity conversion rate (2.5) published by the World Bank. Results The automated and integrated cobas® 5800/6800 systems enabled gains in the volume of samples processed, reducing the hands-on time required for routine activities and the frequency of issues. With cobas® 5800/6800 molecular systems, the frequency of stops was reduced from 8 to 3, and the mean stop time was reduced from 87.51 (CI 95 42.98 – 132.49) hours to 17.61 (CI 95 10.01 – 25.20), resulting in a total operational cost saving of Int$ 8,213.88 (-92.4%) in three months. The integration of cobas® 5800/6800 systems with the Lab’s internal management system allowed for a reduction in the hands-on time for manual post-analytical data management. The average time for data management was 5.08 (CI 95 0.00 – 12.64) hours over three months versus 51.58 (CI 95 20.92 – 82.24) hours from the previous systems, resulting in a potential operational cost saving of Int$ 590.18 (-90.14%) in three months. Conclusion The study results demonstrated that cobas® 5800/6800 automated and integrated molecular systems generated substantial cost savings and efficiency improvements, enabling the staff of the high-throughput lab in Brazil to work at their full potential. These findings underscore the value of automated molecular platforms in enhancing laboratory performance and resource utilization. The results could be even better if material costs were estimated, ultimately supporting better healthcare outcomes.