Factors to consider in molecular diagnostics testing during the preanalytical phase.

HEALTH status indicators; CYTOMEGALOVIRUS diseases; DISEASE management; DIAGNOSTIC errors; DECISION making in clinical medicine; CLINICAL pathology; WORKFLOW; ANTIVIRAL agents; ELECTRONIC health records; COLLECTION & preservation of biological specimens; MOLECULAR biology; MOLECULAR diagnosis; NUCLEIC acid amplification techniques; DRUG resistance

The article discusses factors to be considered during the pre-analytical phase of molecular diagnostics testing to avoid errors which can impact the correct diagnosis of a patient. These factors include test ordering and patient health status, sample adequacy, collection, transport and storage, and sample processing.