Mobile Phlebotomy at Junction

Panel Creation & Approval Guide

Mobile phlebotomy (at-home blood draws) is a convenient option for patients, but it operates under different constraints than a draw center. This guide outlines how to design mobile-friendly panels, what limitations to be aware of, and how Junction’s review and approval process works.

Our goal is to help you deliver a reliable patient experience with fewer redraws, fewer delays, and clearer expectations.

What mobile phlebotomy works best for

Mobile phlebotomy performs best when panels are:

• Moderate in complexity

• Designed with fewer tubes

• Commonly collected in outpatient settings

• Not highly sensitive to handling or transport conditions

More complex panels can still be supported, but they often require additional review, optimization, or alternative collection approaches.

How to design a mobile-friendly panel

1) Keep tube count low (most important)

Tube count is the single biggest driver of reliability in at-home collection.

Our recommendation:

Design mobile phlebotomy panels to be 8 tubes or fewer whenever possible.

• Panels above 8 tubes can be reviewed case-by-case

• Reliability decreases materially once panels reach 9+ tubes

• 15+ tubes are not supported for mobile phlebotomy

Tip: If you have a large or “comprehensive” panel, consider splitting it into:

• a Core / Baseline panel suitable for mobile phlebotomy

• an Advanced / Add-on panel collected at a draw center or during a separate visit

2) Be mindful of high-complexity specimen types

Most tests collect cleanly at home, but a small set of tests require stricter handling and increase failure risk in a mobile setting.

Strong recommendation:

Avoid combining trace metal testing (commonly collected in royal blue EDTA) with preserved urine testing (commonly collected in a preserved UA container) in the same mobile phlebotomy visit.

These test categories are more sensitive to contamination, handling, and transport conditions when collected together at home.

If you need both:

• we may recommend separating collections, or

• routing one portion through a draw center

You do not need to manage tube types yourself—Junction will review this during panel approval and guide you if changes are needed.

3) Optimize for collection simplicity

Panels are more reliable when they:

• minimize the number of distinct specimen/container types

• avoid unusually strict timing or handling requirements

• follow commonly supported outpatient workflows

When in doubt, share your intended use case with us, we often can suggest a more reliable structure without sacrificing clinical goals.

Limitations to be aware of

Mobile phlebotomy differs from draw-center collection in important ways:

• Upper bounds exist on tube count and handling complexity

• Some specialized tests are not ideal for at-home collection

• More complex panels carry higher redraw and reschedule risk

• Mobile phlebotomy panels require review and approval before use

These guardrails help ensure a consistent patient experience and long-term program sustainability.

Panel review & approval process

To protect reliability, Junction uses a panel review and approval process for all mobile phlebotomy panels.

Step 1: Create your panel

Build your mobile phlebotomy panel via the dashboard or API.

Step 2: Panel review

Panels are reviewed for:

• tube count and overall complexity

• feasibility for at-home collection

• any high-complexity specimen combinations

• alignment with mobile phlebotomy best practices

Step 3: Decision

You’ll receive one of the following outcomes:

✅ Approved

Panel is ready for mobile phlebotomy.

✅ Approved with recommendations

Panel is workable, but we’ll suggest optimizations to improve reliability.

❌ Changes required

We’ll explain what needs to change (often tube reduction or splitting collections).

Review timeline

Plan for a review window of approximately ~1 week after submission. If you have a launch date, let us know—we’ll prioritize accordingly.

Best practices checklist

When designing mobile phlebotomy panels, aim for:

✅ ≤8 tubes whenever possible

✅ Simple specimen and container requirements

✅ Avoid mixing high-complexity specimen types in one visit

✅ Split advanced testing from core panels

✅ Share your use case early so we can help optimize

FAQs

Can we use the same panel as our draw-center panel?

Sometimes—but draw-center panels often assume more controlled handling. We recommend a mobile-optimized version for better reliability.

Are panels above 8 tubes allowed?

Yes, case-by-case. ≤8 tubes is the default recommendation; higher tube-count panels are reviewed individually.

What if we need more than 14 tubes?

Mobile phlebotomy is not supported at that level. We’ll help you split the panel or recommend an alternative collection approach.

How long does approval take?

Approximately ~1 week once submitted.

Do we need to manage tube types ourselves?

No. Junction handles this during panel review and will guide you if changes are needed.

Getting help

If you’re considering mobile phlebotomy or planning a launch, reach out with:

• your proposed panel(s)

• target launch date

• patient population and frequency

• any must-have tests

We’ll help you design a mobile phlebotomy approach that balances clinical needs, patient experience, and operational reliability.