What is TAT?
Turnaround Time
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- TAT
- Turnaround Time (TAT) in laboratory settings refers to the total time elapsed from when a specimen is collected or received until results are reported. TAT is a critical quality metric that directly impacts patient care, clinical decision-making, and lab operational efficiency.
TAT is one of the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) for laboratories. Faster TAT means quicker diagnosis, earlier treatment initiation, and improved patient outcomes. It also affects physician satisfaction, hospital length of stay, and the laboratory's competitive position.
How TAT is Measured
Collection to Receipt
Time from specimen collection to lab arrival (pre-analytical)
Receipt to Testing
Time from accessioning to test completion (analytical)
Testing to Reporting
Time from result generation to provider delivery (post-analytical)
Total TAT
End-to-end time from collection to result availability
STAT TAT
Urgent test TAT with accelerated processing
Critical Value TAT
Time to communicate life-threatening results
Factors Affecting TAT
TAT Benchmarks by Test Type
*Benchmarks vary by lab type, accreditation, and patient population