[Histonet] Information Systems: Specimen Tracking & MiddleWare
Victor Tobias
victor <@t> pathology.washington.edu
Thu Mar 26 09:38:43 CDT 2009
If anyone is seriously looking at a new Lab Information System LIS,
please give Michael a call. This is not a paid endorsement. We do not
use his product, but being only a few miles away from where they went
live with their first client, has given us the opportunity to see the
program. We use PowerPath currently, but if we were in a shopping mood,
Michael's product Pathview would be on the short list. Michael and our
team have met several times and his philosophies and ours' are so in
sync it is scary.
We have developed our own software to incorporate with PowerPath. Cases
that need only one cassette are printed at accessioning. For complex
cases the PA or Resident orders the cassettes in real time. They scan
the specimen label and select the quantity of cassettes. This was a
major change in workflow for us, which had it's challenges. Now that the
bugs are out of the system, the end users really like it. No more
wasting cassettes because too many were printed.
The cassettes are scanned at embedding to provide information or special
instructions to the embedder. Scanning the cassette at the microtome
generates the slide labels. Scanning the slide after staining marks the
order as completed and starts the tracking of the slide to the
pathologist and back to the slide room.
Enough rambling, the technology is available and getting better all the
time.
Victor
Victor Tobias
Clinical Applications Analyst
University of Washington Medical Center
Dept of Pathology Room BB220
1959 NE Pacific
Seattle, WA 98195
victor <@t> pathology.washington.edu
206-598-2792
206-598-7659 Fax
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Michael Mihalik wrote:
> Quote: You cannot check a process step which introduces human errors of
> oversight and transcription with another process that introduces the same
> type of error potential.
>
>
>
> I love that line. May I use it?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The only thing I would add is a subtlety. The easiest way to use barcoding
> in any information system is to just 'add it on'. A truly efficient system
> INCORPORATES the technology. What do I mean? Here's an example:
>
>
>
>
>
> In Scenario 1: bar coded cassettes are printing at accessioning. They are
> then moved to the gross area with the requisitions and specimen. However,
> we know that cassettes can be separated from the requisitions and specimen,
> so some systems have you scan the specimen and each block to confirm that
> they match. This is an example of an 'add on' functionality. The
> additional step to scan the specimen and blocks has been added. This
> increases quality at the cost of more work.
>
>
>
> In Scenario 2: bar coded cassettes are printed at the grossing station by
> scanning the bar code on the specimen label. Only the blocks for that
> specimen are printed. This provides the same increase in quality WITHOUT
> any extra work. This is an example of an 'incorporated' technology.
>
>
>
> The difference between the two philosophies is huge and it's a hard one to
> ferret out by simply reading product brochures because in both scenarios
> 'barcodes are used'.
>
>
>
> .but you have to ask yourself, which system would you use?
>
>
>
> And finally, I apologize if this is coming across as a sales pitch, but I'm
> very, very passionate about work flow analysis. The best systems out there
> don't just collect information, they help you get your work done faster,
> better, etc. and you can't do that without analyzing how work flows to the
> department, within the department, and out of the department.
>
>
>
>
>
> Michael Mihalik
>
> <http://www.pathview.com/> PathView Systems | cell: 214.733.7688 |
> 800.798.3540 | fax: 270.423.0968
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: joelle weaver [mailto:joelleweaver <@t> hotmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 5:09 AM
> To: mike <@t> pathview.com; Histonet
> Subject: RE: [Histonet] Information Systems: Specimen Tracking & MiddleWare
>
>
>
> 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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