A movement that transforms data into strategic decisions, driving efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
Twenty years ago, a strong commitment to innovation and efficiency in healthcare management emerged, driving continuous improvement and patient safety. In 2005, the Brazilian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (SBPC/ML) joined forces with Controllab—a leading quality control reference in Latin America with over 47 years of expertise in data management—to create a benchmarking program for indicators. Its mission was clear: to support laboratory medicine service managers in data-driven decision-making, enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability in the healthcare sector.
Since the beginning of its operation, the indicators have undergone continuous improvement cycles, keeping up with technological advancements and promoting best healthcare management practices. A key milestone in this evolution was the international harmonization of indicators, aligning with the guidelines of the IFCC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine). This alignment propelled the program’s global advancement.
Constantly evolving to ensure data reliability and standardization, Controllab has established strategic partnerships with technology companies — meet these partners. These companies integrate their systems with the platform, minimizing errors and reducing the complexity of data collection. This allows managers to focus on what truly matters: analyzing indicators and implementing improvements that enhance service competitiveness.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the comparison of indicators stood out as a strategic ally for laboratories, being especially recognized by LabVW Laboratory. Adriana Helena Sedrez, the laboratory’s technical director, shared her experience during this challenging period, which required quick adaptation due to supply chain disruptions and changes in customer behavior. In this context, the indicators were essential for supporting strategic decision-making.
Since then, the continuous pursuit of quality and efficiency has driven the platform’s expansion, which in 2023 evolved and adopted a new name aligned with its purpose: Metricare. Aiming to serve indicators across different healthcare segments, it has become one of the most relevant benchmarking platforms in the sector, connecting over 400 organizations in 17 countries. This diversity of participants creates a rich and robust data pool, enabling more strategic, secure, and data-driven decision-making based on concrete market insights.
Partnerships that drive transformation
In addition to its partnership with SBPC/ML, Metricare also collaborates with other highly relevant institutions in the healthcare sector, such as Abramed (Brazilian Association of Diagnostic Medicine), SOBRASP (Brazilian Society for Quality of Care and Patient Safety), and CBR (Brazilian College of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging). Together, these collaborations have been instrumental in transforming data into better decisions for the entire healthcare ecosystem.
How does benchmarking work?
Metricare is a comparative indicator management platform that simplifies decision-making for healthcare and wellness companies. By monitoring performance indicators and comparing them with the market, organizations obtain concrete evidence to improve their management and raise their quality standards.
Currently, essential metrics for laboratory management are provided, such as recollection, team productivity, delays in result delivery, incorrect reports, average ticket, performance in the Proficiency Test, among others – check out the full list with 200 performance indicators.
Metricare also provides essential microbiology data, offering 15 specific indicators that allow monitoring of processes, resources, and epidemiological aspects, such as resistance in blood cultures and surveillance cultures, as well as the positivity of blood cultures in hospitalized patients.
To illustrate the impact of benchmarking on laboratory management, we analyzed the results of the recollection indicator. In 2024, half of the laboratories reported, on average, up to 9 recollections for every 1,000 patients attended. The top-performing laboratories had up to 5 recollections, while the lowest-performing ones saw this rate triple, reaching 15 recollections.
Recollection Rate per 1,000 Patients
15
25% Laboratories Lower performance
9
50% Laboratories Intermediate performance
5
25% Laboratories Best performance
Source: "General Recollection" Indicator (all laboratories), Metricare 2024.
This variation highlights the importance of comparative analysis to identify efficiency gaps. With this data, laboratories can adjust processes, set more precise goals, and improve protocols, leading to greater efficiency and a better customer experience.
Without market comparison, performance analysis could become limited, hindering the adoption of improvement actions.
Continuously monitoring indicators enables more assertive decisions, strategic goal setting, and targeted actions for continuous improvement and patient safety.
Training for laboratory efficiency
Metricare has established itself as an essential reference in data comparison, offering continuous training through both in-person and online indicator forums. These meetings equip participants with skills in data interpretation and benchmarking, in compliance with RDC 786/2023 in Brazil, while also promoting the exchange of best practices and strategies to improve laboratory efficiency.
Metricare’s global presence was also highlighted by its participation in the 2024 Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) event in Chicago, where it presented Brazilian indicators, reinforcing the impact of benchmarking on improving the quality of laboratory services.
The future of data-driven healthcare
As it celebrates 20 years, Metricare acknowledges that its achievements are the result of partnerships with professionals and institutions that share the commitment to transforming healthcare management through data and collective intelligence.
“At Metricare, we take care with precision in everything we do, because our purpose goes beyond ourselves. We mobilize intelligence and energy to promote collective health and well-being. We do this by connecting people and knowledge, building relationships of trust and credibility. Through data and strategic information, we enable more assertive decisions, driving knowledge, competitive intelligence, and the advancement of the healthcare sector.”
Vinícius Biasoli, CEO of Controllab
To symbolize this period, our commemorative logo in 2025 will reflect our journey and the impact of data.
Metricare thanks everyone who has been part of this two-decade journey of evolution, reinforcing its commitment to transforming healthcare management. With precision and expertise in data, we continue to provide metrics and insights that guide more effective, safe, and sustainable decisions.
Do you want to be part of this movement?
Join Metricare and transform data into strategic decisions. Talk to one of our specialists on WhatsApp at +55 (21) 98258-0074.
