Analysis of Stress Backlogs in Case-File Processing within Forensic Science Laboratory

Backlogs in case-files were found to be one of the reason factors impacting the competitiveness of the forensic science laboratory (FSL). Backlogs are case-files that are unreported or unprocessed within a chosen time frame (year, week or month) which results in higher customer complaints, rework, analysis cost, deterioration of biological samples, etc. Backlogging of case-files was measured in three successive years (2014 to 2016), employing the following parameters: case-files processed and case-files received, subtraction of which results in case-files backlogged. 

There was a requirement to establish time period within which a case-file should be considered as backlogged (i.e., one week), findings of which can be interpreted as backlogged case-files per month or year. A data collection instrument was developed and applied to three workstations (forensic chemistry, biology/DNA and toxicology labs). The instrument has beginning and ending date for every time frame in which numbers of received and processed case-files were recorded and then calculated backlogs. It was noted that, case-files reported increased from 2014 to 2016 resulting in a reduction in backlogged case-files. 

The percentage backlogged annually for the case-files was highest in the case of forensic toxicology. Forensic chemistry had the maximum backlogged case-files, followed by forensic biology/DNA. The maximum number of backlogged case-files per analyst per annum was in 2014 and declined steadily up to 2016, being relatively higher in the case of forensic biology/DNA and chemistry. Probability density functions (PDFs) and cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of backlogs data revealed that most of the backlogs formed in prior weeks were removed. It was deduced that the impact of case-file backlogging towards FSL competitiveness can be reduced by sustained management effort for backlog removal.