Welcome to the
PerkinElmer COVID-19
Testing Program,
in partnership with the Health and Human
Services Department and Color Health

Program Overview

We’re excited to help you set up your testing program to keep your community safe. Once you’ve signed up, we’ll send you emails to begin onboarding. Here’s an overview of how you’ll run your program:

Onboarding
& site setup

Collecting &
shipping samples

Monitoring &
managing your
program

Onboarding & Site Setup

These pages detail the steps and decisions necessary to complete onboarding and set up your testing sites.

 

Identify your testing team

It takes a team to run an effective testing program, and we recommend selecting people from across your organization for the roles below.

Program Director
Site Lead
Testing Administrator
Participants

Program Director

They’ll identify collection sites and the site lead for each collection site.

Color Access

  • Staff management “site manager”, to edit team member access to sample collection
  • Results dashboards for all sites
  • Access management, to edit team member access to dashboards

Site Lead

Responsible for all testing at a collection site. They identify testing administrators, distribute testing supplies, and prepare samples for shipment to the lab.

Color Access

  • Staff management “site manager” role, to edit team member access to sample collection
  • Results dashboard for their site
  • Access management, to edit team member access to the site dashboard

Testing Administrator

Testing administrators set up testing stations and oversee sample collection. They’ll use Color to record which participants provide samples. At least one testing administrator should be selected for each testing station.

Color Access

  • Staff management “site staff” role

Participants

Participants are the individuals who register and provide samples for testing. For participants under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian must register and provide consent on their behalf.

Sign up for Color accounts

All staff must create Color accounts. Here’s how it works:

1

Program Director creates account

2

Program Director selects Site Leads

3

Site Leads create accounts

4

Site Leads select Testing Administrators

5

Testing Administrators create accounts

  • Head to home.color.com/create-account.
    Enter your organization email, and set up a password. We’ll send an email to confirm your email address once you’ve created your account. After confirming, your account is ready for use.
  • If you’re an organization lead nominating team members, head to home.color.com/admin, select the site you’d like to add team members to, and choose the staff management tool.
 
How to create a Color account
 
How to use the staff management tool

Managing your staff

You can provide, edit, and remove permissions for testing team members to use Color by logging into your account. District directors and school leads should be given “site manager” roles and testing administrators should be given “site staff” roles.

 

On testing days

Testing administrators will log into Color via home.color.com/admin – we suggest bookmarking this link.

If you need a Color account, please contact your organization lead. If you haven’t received a confirmation email, check your spam folder.

Order test kits and return shipping materials

Color will automatically ship your initial kit and ship-back materials. This includes two week’s supply of testing kits. After your first shipment, you’re responsible for ordering those materials via our ALOM portal. Site administrators will receive access and instructions for this tool via email. You can use our inventory template to determine how much to order.

Order Kits

Individual Test Kits

  1. Swab
  2. Tube 
  3. Barcode card
  4. Small sample biohazard bag

Return shipping boxes

  • Large biohazard bag
  • UN 3373 sticker
  • Paper manifest
  • Backup paper intake forms
  • UPS shipping label

Dimensions:
12″x12″x10″
(holds 100 kits)

Weight when packed:
100 test kit box = ~6 lbs

Get additional materials

Be sure to have these on hand before you begin collecting samples.

Hand sanitizer, a waste bin, and personal protective equipment (PPE)

  • Each testing station should have enough hand sanitizer for all participants and testing administrators to sanitize their hands before and after providing a sample or touching the sample collection tubes.
  • Use a waste bin at each testing station to collect swab packaging.
  • Make PPE available per your district’s guidelines and any state or local recommendations.

Internet

  • Color’s software requires internet connectivity via WiFi or cellular service.
  • If you’re using WiFi-only devices like laptops or tablets, make sure you have strong and reliable WiFi coverage in your testing area.
  • If your WiFi isn’t reliable, we recommend using portable hotspots from a cellular network provider, like this Verizon Jetpack® MiFi® 8800L.
  • If you’re planning on using cellular devices, like a WiFi + Cellular iPad, be sure to select the appropriate cellular network provider that provides the best coverage for your area, like AT&T or Verizon.

Tablets and/or laptops

  • Each site administrator should have their own device on testing days.
  • We recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome on your devices.
  • iPads must be running iOS 13 or iOS 14. For example, the 10.2” Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad, model MYN32LL/A works well. We recommend you also download the Google Chrome iOS app.
  • Android tablets must be running Android version 9, 10, or 11 with the latest updates and the latest version of Google Chrome. For example, the Samsung tablets, such as the Galaxy Tab A 8.4” Cellular, work well.

Scanners

  • We recommend using scanners to automatically capture barcodes and ensure samples are matched to the correct participants. If scanners are not functional for any reason, or if you don’t have access to scanners, you are able to input the information manually.
  • If you are using an iPad, we recommend using the ScanKey iOS app which enables usage of the iPad’s camera as the barcode scanner from within the virtual keyboard interface.
  • If you are using a handheld scanner, the scanner must scan one-dimensional (1D) barcode labels. We recommend using wired USB scanners, because wireless or bluetooth scanners can be difficult to pair and ensure connectivity throughout the day.

Electricity

  • Be sure to maintain the battery levels of your devices throughout testing days to enable continuous usage. It is important to remember to charge devices overnight before testing days, and consider charging overnight.
  • iPads will require at least a 12-watt (2.4 amp) USB power adapter. If supporting multiple iPads or other USB-charged devices, we recommend using a multi-port USB charger.

Set up registration and testing stations

The collection site should have two stations: registration and testing. Registration stations are where participants or their parent/guardian register for testing, and testing stations are where they provide their samples.

These are the materials you’ll need for each registration station:

  • Tablets or computers, fully charged
  • Chargers
  • Posters
  • Hand sanitizer

These are the materials you’ll need for each testing station:

  • A tube holder
    • Set out a holder for tubes during sample collection – mugs work well
  • Test kits
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Waste bin

Invite participants to register for Color

When it’s time to engage your testing community, we recommend that you use the email templates on the Resources page to invite participants to register for Color.

Every participant must register for Color before testing. For minors, a parent/guardian must register on their behalf to provide consent.

 
How participants register and receive results

Participants or their parents/guardians can register one of three ways:

1. Using a unique URL

Before testing day we will send the organization lead a unique URL so participants can use it to answer questions ahead of time on their own device.

2. Using a QR code

School leads can turn registration links into QR codes to print and post at the collection site. To create a QR code, head to qrcode-monkey.com, enter your URL, click “Generate QR Code”, then “Download PNG”.

3. Registering onsite

Site staff can register those who have not done so ahead of time. Use the “Add patient” link on Color and ask participants to answer the registration questions verbally during the sample collection process.

We encourage you to advise participants to register before their first testing day, so their profiles are saved and automatically populate as ready for check-in each testing day.

Collecting & Shipping Samples

 
How to collect a sample

How administrators collect samples

 

  1. Log in to Color at home.color.com/sign-in
  2. Confirm participant information
  3. Scan or type in the participant barcode
  4. Gather the participant’s collected sample
  5. Package the samples and send them to the lab, using the shipping instructions in the next section. Samples should be shipped the same calendar day as collection.

Here are step-by-step instructions for packing and shipping samples:

We recommend testing Monday–Thursday to ensure your samples are accessioned at the lab within the required 56-hour window. If samples aren’t accessioned within the window, they will be discarded. For Hawaii-specific UPS courier and shipping timelines, refer to this sheet.

 

  1. Gather all samples collected that day
  2. Pack samples
    1. Fill out a paper manifest form and place it in your return shipping box.
    2. Place sealed individual specimen bags into a large biohazard bag and seal.
      1. Note: The biohazard bag should not contain more than either 100 individual kits.
    3. Place the large biohazard bags inside the return shipping box and tape it securely closed.
    4. Ensure the UN 3373 sticker and return shipping label are affixed to the box if not already.
  3. Ship samples with UPS
    1. For more information on how to ship samples with UPS, refer to this flyer. For shipping questions, reach out to UPS Lab Customer Support at 1-844-487-7522.

 

Store unused test kits

Please store collected kits in a covered bin in a secure, shaded area without direct exposure to the sun or heat. The ideal storage temperature is room temperature (72-76 degrees Fahrenheit). Packaged kits may be deposited in outdoor drop boxes in cold outdoor temperatures.

Please note: Kits may not be transferred to a different site or used for any purpose other than for sample collection. For safety reasons and to ensure specimen samples are not contaminated or damaged and results are accurate, unused kits may not be returned once they are delivered to a collection site. Unused collection kits must be destroyed when the testing program ends. There are specific expiration dates listed on components of the kits. Please destroy any unused, expired kits by placing them in the regular trash.

Monitoring & Managing Your Program

How to access and use dashboards

You’ll have access to two real-time dashboards to view results:

Overview Dashboard which presents aggregate data and is meant to provide an overview of the statistics for a site or set of sites, including the number of tests, percent of tests with each type of results, and participant demographics. The overview dashboard does not include identifiable patient information.

Testing Patient Dashboard which provides row-level identifiable patient information, where each row represents the results of an individual participant and includes demographics, contact information, and test results.

 
How to use the access management tool

Getting results dashboard access

If you’re the program lead, you automatically have access to the results dashboard. If you’re not the lead, please reach out to your lead to request access to Color dashboards.

The program lead will have access to the access management tool, which allows them to edit user access to program dashboards. For more information about this tool, visit the Color knowledge base. Please note, we limit PHI-level dashboard access to four people.

Logging in to the results dashboard

First, create an account at home.color.com/create-account.

Then, log in at home.color.com/admin/covid-dashboard. It may take a few days for your dashboard access to be authorized, so check back if it’s not immediately available.

Access Dashboards

Note:

All Color molecular tests are Rx only and therefore are physician ordered.
All tests results are released to the ordering physician as part of the reporting workflow.