Preparing Your Laboratory for the End of Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, at 2 a.m., when clocks “fall back” one hour. While the extra sleep is welcomed, for laboratories, this annual shift can temporarily disrupt time-dependent processes if not managed carefully. At JTG Consulting Group, we have supported many labs through these transitions, and we know that a little preparation can prevent downstream issues across your LIS, instruments, and workflows. 

This guide highlights what to review before the time change, what to expect during it, and how to minimize impact to patient care and turnaround times.

Communicate Early and Often 

Before the time change, confirm your communication plan. Notify all laboratory and support staff of any downtime, system updates, or collection changes that may occur. 

Best practice is to: 

• Send notices through at least two platforms (email, Teams, bulletin board, or downtime binder). 

• Repeat the message at least twice to ensure all shifts are covered. 

• Remind teams that a one-hour overlap will occur between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. local time. 

Clear, consistent communication keeps every department aligned and prevents confusion when systems come back online. 

Review Instrument and System Settings 

Check which analyzers or interfaces adjust automatically and which require manual updates. Some instrument families—such as older instrument models—have historically needed manual time entry. Assign responsibility in advance so updates are completed promptly. 

If you are a Data Innovations Instrument Manager™ user (version 8.07 and higher), you can choose either automatic or manual time adjustments. Both options are supported, but remember that any feature using time calculations (for example, trickle-feed workflows or “Hold Until Complete” logic) can be temporarily affected during the change. 

Know How Your LIS Handles the Repeat Hour 

Different systems respond to time changes in different ways. 

• Epic Beaker: Does not require downtime. Ensure LIS administrators are familiar with Epic’s Daylight Savings Strategy Handbook and that Beaker owned scheduled job run times are adjusted if they occur during the repeat hour.

• Clinisys (Sunquest): Requires a downtime period to manage the repeat hour. A 2025 Fall Time Change Notice is available on the Clinisys ServiceNow portal, which many labs adapt into their own downtime plan. 

• Cerner and Other LIS Platforms: May vary. Confirm with your LIS administrator or vendor support contact. 

  
  

If downtime is expected, coordinate with IT to determine when to pause and resume interfaces and what steps staff should take to maintain continuity. 

Plan for Collections and Result Reporting 

Time changes can confuse timed collections and STAT/ASAP orders that overlap the repeat hour for some applications. Phlebotomy and nursing teams should review collection schedules and confirm how timestamps will display. 

If your site uses downtime workflows, make sure all manual processes are ready and documented. Notify the hospital house supervisor or key units if results may be delayed or delivered through downtime reporting. Early awareness helps clinicians interpret timestamps accurately and trust the data. 

Validate After the Change 

Once systems are back online, verify that all timestamps align correctly. Reconcile any mismatched collection or result times and confirm that middleware and interfaces resumed without error. 

Instrument and LIS logs can help identify any out-of-order messages or transmission delays caused by the shift. Document these findings to improve your next Daylight Saving Time transition. 

If you need assistance, contact your internal IT or informatics support first, then reach out to your vendor’s regional support team if needed. For JTG clients, your consulting team can review your configuration and help prepare system-specific downtime or validation steps. 

Closing Thoughts 

While Daylight Saving Time can seem like a minor event, even small time discrepancies can ripple through instrument interfaces, LIS workflows, and downstream systems. Proactive preparation keeps data clean, turnaround times consistent, and patient care uninterrupted. 

The end of Daylight Saving Time is an opportunity to review, communicate, and validate your lab’s readiness. This helps ensure that every minute, even the repeated one, counts.