All of the following are advantages to automation EXCEPT which?

• A. Correction for deficiencies inherent in methodologies
• B. Increased number of tests performed
• C. Minimized labor component
• D. Use of small amounts of samples and reagents in comparison to manual procedures

Answer: (A)

Automation in the clinical chemistry lab mainly brings throughput, consistency, and efficiency: you can run more tests, the hands-on labor required drops, and smaller sample and reagent volumes are used compared to manual procedures. It does not inherently fix flaws in the methods themselves. If the analytical method has deficiencies such as poor accuracy, bias, or susceptibility to interference, automation won’t correct those issues by itself. Therefore, the statement about correction for deficiencies inherent in methodologies is not an advantage of automation, while the other points describe real benefits.