99% of lab professionals impacted by medical couriers, survey finds

According to a new survey produced by CAP Today, the publication of the College of American Pathologists, 99% of lab professionals say that medical couriers impact their work in a “typical week,” with 81% of respondents who work in acute care labs indicating that impact as “significant.”

“The findings of this survey—which echo the responses of a 2023 survey of lab professionals—demonstrate how important it is to choose the right logistics partner,” said Jake Crampton, CEO of MedSpeed, the sponsor of the CAP Today survey. “The impact of healthcare logistics on patient care cannot be underestimated, nor can the financial consequences,” Crampton continued.

Of the 318 lab professionals who responded to the 2025 CAP Today survey:

• 84% said that in the last month a medical courier delay or error impacted their ability to provide appropriate and timely results for patients, with an average of three such incidents reported per month per respondent.
• 56% of lab directors, managers and supervisors indicated that a courier error compromised an irreplaceable specimen in the last year, with an average of two such incidents reported per respondent per year.
• 83% of lab directors, managers and supervisors said courier reliability affects their decision to partner with specialty labs or complementary labs for send out and referral testing

The survey also found that 48% of lab professionals have stayed late to wait for the courier to arrive; 41% have had to request STAT service to supplement untrustworthy scheduled service; and 36% have transported or shipped specimens themselves.

“The CAP Today survey results bolster the findings from a 2024 survey from American Nurse Journal, which found that 83% of nurses said medical courier issues negatively affect their work weekly. Furthermore, 52% of nurses reported that a medical courier error or delay forced them to reschedule or cancel a procedure in the past year,” said Crampton.

“Partnering with a top-tier logistics provider like MedSpeed that has an error rate as low as 1/20^th of the industry average positively impacts patient care, enables clinical productivity and avoids costly error remediation.”

The anonymous survey of lab professionals was conducted by CAP Today, the official journal of the College of American Pathologists, on behalf of MedSpeed from January 14 through January 22, 2025.