Hierarchical Lab Network
Definition
A tiered system in which local or regional labs handle routine casework and refer specialised or high-stakes work upward to a national or state-level centre with deeper resources.
- Structure
- Tiered, from local or regional labs up to a national or state centre
- Routine work
- Handled at the local or regional level
- Specialised work
- Referred upward to the higher-resourced centre
- Purpose
- Matches casework complexity to available equipment and expertise
Common questions
What kinds of cases typically get referred up a hierarchical lab network?+
Work needing equipment or expertise the local lab lacks, such as advanced DNA mixture interpretation, mass spectrometry confirmation, or novel psychoactive substance identification, is escalated to the national or state centre rather than duplicated at every regional site.
What is the main drawback of a hierarchical lab network?+
Referral adds transit time and a handoff point where evidence custody and turnaround can slow down, so networks need clear referral criteria and tracking to stop routine cases from being bottlenecked at the centre or specialised cases from lingering at an under-equipped regional lab.
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