Sample transfers

Physical handoff workflow

Sample Transfers tracks the custody of physical samples. It proves who requested, collected, carried, handed over, received, rejected, or cancelled a sample movement.

The transfer board

Operations → Samples → Sample Transfers shows every sample leaving your branch for another branch or a partner lab. It works like Samples Operations: the same cards, scan box, search and filters, and the same sample panel. Each card shows the patient, the sample, its tests, and the branch or partner lab it is going to. The board has three columns:

• Collected: collected samples waiting to be sent. The clock shows how long each one has been waiting.
• Sent Out: samples with the destination, waiting for their results. The card shows the courier and the time since it was sent. A sample rejected by the destination shows a red note while it returns to the lab.
• Results: results being entered or approved. A sample moves here when you enter its first result, or when you drag it here from Sent Out.

Work a sample forward the same way as on Samples Operations:

1. In Collected, choose Mark as Sent on the card, or drag the card to Sent Out. Samples travel with their transfer, so every sample in the same transfer is marked as sent; the window lists them before you confirm. You can pick the courier.
2. In Sent Out, choose Enter Results when the destination sends the results. Only this sample's tests are shown.
3. In Results, finish entering the results, then choose Submit for Approval and release them from the order's results review.

Once all of a sample's results are released, it leaves the board. The tube stays with the destination, so it is not added to your Stored Samples and no EOL is tracked for it.

Select several cards with their checkboxes to Mark Selected as Sent or Submit Results for Approval together. Cards only move forward; dragging a card back is refused.

To send a collected sample somewhere else, open it and choose Change Destination. Pick another branch or partner lab and, if useful, a reason; the change is kept in the sample history. This is only possible in Collected, before the sample leaves. Open Transfer in the sample panel opens the full transfer record.

The Samples Operations button at the top opens the board for samples processed in your branch; its number shows how many samples are there. The Sample Transfers number in the menu counts the samples on this board.

Transfer Log lists every transfer with its reference, source order, destination, carrier, mode, state, sample count, and age, including transfers coming to your branch and finished ones. Open a transfer to verify its branches, linked samples, assigned people, timestamps, notes, and timeline before taking action.

Dispatch worksheets and marking samples as sent

Use the Dispatch menu on the Sample Transfers page when samples leave your branch for a partner lab or another branch:

1. Print All Dispatch Worksheets prints one page per partner lab or branch. Print Worksheet for One Destination prints a single page. Each page lists the collected samples ready to send, with barcode, patient, order, sample type, tests (with the partner's test code when set), and a Received box the partner can tick. When the partner's Tests & Prices list has a specimen or assay time for a test, it is printed under that test (for example "Send: Serum · Gel Tube · 2 ml · Result in 3 days"), and a Longest assay time column shows how long the slowest test on each sample takes.
   • Turn on Include partner lab prices to add a Partner Price column (what the partner charges for each sample, from its Tests & Prices list) and a total per destination. Leave it off to hand the courier or partner a sheet without prices. The option appears only for staff who can open Partner Labs.
2. Pack the samples with their page and check every barcode against the physical tubes.
3. Choose Mark Samples as Sent, pick the destination and, if a courier takes them, the courier. All ready samples for that destination are marked as picked up in one step.

Samples still waiting for collection are not printed; the page shows how many more are on the way. Print the worksheet before marking samples as sent, because sent samples leave the worksheet.

When the destination has a price list in CRM > Partner Labs > Tests & Prices, the sent tests are added to a draft bill for that partner in Finance > Bills & Expenses. Everything sent to the same partner from the same branch on the same day goes on one bill. This also happens when a courier marks a pickup from the courier portal. If a transfer is rejected and returned, its tests are taken off the draft bill.

Before dispatch

Confirm that every physical tube or container matches a linked barcode and the source order. Check sample type, container, quantity, integrity, temperature or stability requirements, destination, and carrier assignment. Never dispatch an unlabelled sample or use a transfer record as a substitute for physical identity checks.

The origin branch requests the transfer. When the carrier physically takes custody, use Mark Picked Up (or Mark Samples as Sent for a whole destination). Do not mark pickup in advance. The action records the custody state and actor so the timeline matches the real handoff.

In transit and receipt

While in transit, use the transfer reference for operational follow-up. The receiving branch should compare the carrier, seal or container condition, barcodes, sample count, and destination before accepting delivery.

Use Mark Delivered only after the destination has physically received and verified the samples. The transfer timeline retains requested, pickup, drop-off, delivery, current state, and responsible-user context. The sample workflow remains the clinical source of truth for receipt and processing state.

For a Mega Lab transfer, use Received Back at Lab when the physical samples return to the origin lab after external processing. The action is available only at the origin branch after the Mega Lab delivery, or while a rejected shipment is returning. Confirm the containers and barcodes before completing it; the transfer then closes with the distinct Received Back at Lab status.

Exceptions, rejection, and cancellation

Use Reject Transfer when the destination cannot accept an in-transit handoff. Record a specific reason such as broken seal, wrong destination, missing tube, barcode mismatch, leakage, temperature excursion, expired stability window, or unacceptable sample condition. Follow the lab SOP for quarantine, recollection, return, and incident escalation.

Use Cancel Transfer only before the handoff is operationally complete. Explain why transport is no longer needed. Do not cancel to hide a failed or delayed movement; retain the exception trail and use rejection when custody reached the receiving side but acceptance failed.

Delayed or missing handoffs

If a transfer exceeds the expected journey time, contact the assigned carrier and both branches using the transfer reference. Do not create a replacement transfer until the original custody state is understood. Record the delay, current location, sample stability risk, and agreed next action in the operational note, then follow the laboratory escalation and recollection policy.

When a sample cannot be located, pause result work for that sample and notify the responsible operations lead. Preserve the existing transfer timeline; it is the evidence needed to establish the last confirmed custodian and decide whether the sample can continue, must be quarantined, or requires recollection.

Daily reconciliation

At shift handover, review requested and in-transit transfers that have not reached a final state. Compare the system sample count with physical containers, carrier manifests, pickup evidence, and destination receipts. Resolve timestamps that were entered late and add a factual note without changing the real custody sequence.

Operations managers should review repeated delays, rejection reasons, damaged containers, and destination mismatches. Use those patterns to correct carrier instructions, packaging, routes, and staff training while keeping the original transfer records available for audit.

Chain-of-custody checklist

• Transfer reference matches the physical shipment.
• Every linked sample barcode is present and readable.
• Origin, destination, carrier, and transfer mode are correct.
• Pickup is recorded at the real custody handoff time.
• Transport conditions follow sample stability requirements.
• Receipt or rejection is recorded by the responsible destination user.
• Damage, shortage, mismatch, or delay has a clear note and escalation.
• Sample receipt and processing states are updated after the transfer event.