[Histonet] Information Systems: Specimen Tracking & MiddleWare

[joelle weaver]

Thanks for posting this.I just couldn't help commenting on this post because as a working histologist,  I have tried to convince managers in the past who have tried to recituify the need for specimen tracking in histology, and the general situation with very time consuming, tedious and inaccurate manual transcription steps in the effort to create tracking and not have to buy anything. I have printed off information from vendor websites, showing that middleware was not always needed, and presented this information to them, but they just don't believe it. Lack of understanding I think, caused them to instead go with manual the manual processes to create a "paper trail". Even in this day and age, people are surprisingly afraid of, and unaware of technology. In my experience, these manual processes are marginally effective at  best, and of course moved the process away from efficiency and reliability, not to mention frustrated employees who are already struggling to get their work done with time pressures and staffing constraints. My position has always been that computer systems are very good at some things, such as repetitive information processing, and they do not get tired, transpose numbers etc. Please use them for this!You cannot check a process step which introduces humam errors of oversight and transcription with another process that introduces the same type of error potential. To do so, merely expands the opportunity for this kind of error to pass farther into the process. As a working histologist, I do wish that people would not be so afraid of technology in our field, and use it to improve and update histology processes.More education is needed! So keep posting this type of information. Only by incorporating this aspect will the field be able to move forward and keep pace with the other areas of the laboratory and medical practice in general. 

 

Joelle Weaver HTL (ASCP)
 
> From: mike <@t> pathview.com
> To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:46:11 -0500
> Subject: [Histonet] Information Systems: Specimen Tracking & MiddleWare
> 
> Good morning,
> 
> I was just at the Lab Infotech Summit in Las Vegas last week where the
> subject of the conference was informatics in Anatomic and Clinical
> Pathology. Along with the usual seminars were the usual vendors in the
> exhibitor's hall demonstrating and talking about their products and
> services.
> 
> As one of those vendors, I had the opportunity to talk to a few people and a
> general trend appeared to merge -- one which I would like to dispel, if
> possible.
> 
> I'd like to make sure that everyone is aware that you do NOT have to have
> middleware in order to have bar coded cassettes, slides, etc., and you do
> NOT have to have middleware in order to have specimen/material tracking.
> Let me explain.
> 
> If, on the one hand, you are quite content with your current information
> system and you simply wish to add barcodes and specimen tracking and you do
> not want to work with your information system vendor because either they
> don't have this capability or for some other reason, then YES, middleware is
> a viable alternative.
> 
> On the other hand, if you are planning to purchase a new Information System
> for your laboratory, then by all means, DEMAND of your new vendor, the
> ability to have barcoded everything and to have specimen tracking built into
> your new information system. There are lots of good reasons to have all
> this capability in your information system and not in some middleware
> product. I'd be happy to discuss the reasons for my statements, but I've
> taken up enough of everyone's time. If you'd like to hear more, then
> please, just ask.
> 
> I just thought everyone should know...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Michael Mihalik
> PathView Systems | cell: 214.733.7688 | 800.798.3540 | fax: 270.423.0968
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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