Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part II: Assessing the impact of a turnaround time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory
This companion piece to last week's article on laboratory turnaround time (TAT), sees Cassim et al. take their experience developing and implementing a system for tracking TAT in a high-volume laboratory and assesses the actual impact such a system has. Using a retrospective study design and root cause analyses, the group looked at TAT outcomes over 122 weeks from a busy clinical pathology laboratory in a hospital in South Africa. After describing their methodology and results, the authors discussed the nuances of their results, including significant lessons learned. They conclude that not only is monitoring TAT to ensure timely reporting of results important, but also "vertical audits" of the results help identify bottlenecks for correction. They also emphasize "the importance of documenting and following through on corrective actions" associated with both those audits and the related quality management system in place at the lab.
Positioning the Health System to Weather the Storm of COVID-19 through Best-of-Breed Laboratory Technology
Five areas of focus emerge when we look at how best-of-breed technology is helping labs manage through COVID-19. Get the new white paper.
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Remote Tech for COVID-Safe Cannabis Lab Testing
Cannabis testing labs will be following pandemic-related safety procedures for most of 2021. But productivity suffered under the patchwork measures labs took to enable remote working and protect employees who remain in the labs. Laboratory information systems restore productivity while making remote working easier and onsite employees safer...
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Ultimate LIMS Solution with Traceable Glassware Module
CaliberLIMS is the World’s 1st LIMS that comes with a traceable glassware module. This LIMS module can easily register, document, and trace the glassware used in a laboratory through a simple QR code scan.
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Maximizing User Adoption of a New LIMS
A laboratory information management system (LIMS) functions as a centralized hub for managing many of the activities and workflows in modern laboratories. Selection, implementation and rollout of a LIMS is a high-risk activity for organizations, because inefficient or ineffective laboratory operations can translate into poor product quality, higher costs and regulatory compliance challenges.
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Laboratory Informatics Weekly Update – Volume 19, Issue 3
January 19, 2021 Laboratory Informatics Weekly Update Volume 19, Issue 3 In This Issue Featured Books Past, Present, and Future of Cannabis Laboratory Testing and Regulation in the United States Featured Content 01/19/2021 - Positioning the Health System to Weather the Storm of COVID-19 through Best-of-Breed Laboratory Technology Five areas of focus emerge when we look at how best-of-breed technology is helping labs manage through COVID-19. Get the new white paper. [READ MORE] 01/19/2021 - Remote Tech for COVID-Safe Cannabis Lab Testing Cannabis testing labs will be following pandemic-related safety procedures for most of 2021. But productivity suffered under…Timely delivery of laboratory efficiency information, Part I: Developing an interactive turnaround time dashboard at a high-volume laboratory
In this 2020 article published in the African Journal of Laboratory Medicine, Cassim et al. describe their experience developing and implementing a system for tracking turnaround time (TAT) in a high-volume laboratory. Seeking to have weekly reports of turnaround time—to better react to changes and improve policy—the authors developed a dashboard-based system for the South African National Health Laboratory Service and tested it in one if their higher-volume labs to assess the TAT monitoring system's performance. They conclude that while their dashboard "enables presentation of weekly TAT data to relevant business and laboratory managers, as part of the overall quality management portfolio of the organization," the actual act of "providing tools to assess TAT performance does not in itself imply corrective action or improvement." They emphasize that training on the system, as well as system performance measurements, gradual quality improvements, and the encouragement of a leadership-promoted business culture that supports the use of such data, are all required for the success of such a tool to be ensured.
Remote Working in a Laboratory Environment?
New Year new Opportunities, right? But how can we overcome the challenges of remote lab work we have already been facing since 2020? Because more and more people are working remotely from home, we wanted to find out what the situation looks like for you, following the current trends with our survey.
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What Vaccines Mean for COVID-19 Testing Labs
COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out in the United States and around the world, but now is not the time for complacency. One, two or even dozens of vaccines won’t immediately turn the tide of this pandemic. Inoculating enough of the population to make a difference will take time. And several issues will extend the pandemic beyond 2021. As a result, COVID-19 testing must be as ubiquitous...
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How to Digitalize the Entire Process of Sample Management?
Sample Management involves all the activities during the lifecycle of a sample in the lab. Right from sample login to generation of certification of analysis (COA), all information must be diligently managed. If data management at each stage of the process is done manually, the process itself would take away chunks of time from the QC’s day for analysis/ review/approval and QA for review/ approval.
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Sunquest Physician Portal for Covid-19
For labs navigating through high volumes of COVID-19 testing, the Sunquest Physician Portal for COVID-19 provides automation of orders and results for improved turnaround times, increased accuracy, higher test throughput, and compliant reporting.
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