The startDate marks the day work started on a LabBatch in the laboratory. It is optional, since a batch can be created and queued before anyone begins working it. Once set, it pairs with completedDate to define the full processing window, letting teams measure how long a batch has been in progress and estimate turnaround. Tracking start dates across batches helps a lab understand its throughput and spot batches that have been open longer than expected.
Technical section
Data model, API, and internals — visible to developers.