Mobility In Hospital Lab Workflows: Real-Time Information Access Improves Efficiency, Reduces Errors

By Quest Solution

Healthcare mobility, through handheld mobile computers or bar code scanners, provides real-time access via the wireless LAN (WLAN) to information in the Laboratory Information System (LIS) and the Hospital Information System (HIS), allowing technicians to ensure that the right test is performed the right way on the right patient at the right time. With either a handheld mobile computer or a bar code scanner tethered to a COW/WOW, technicians can:

Positively identify patients — every time.
With a quick scan of the bar code on the patient's wristband, the patient's identity is displayed on the screen of the mobile computer or COW/WOW, enabling the technician to double verify the information with the name on the wristband.

Ensure the right specimen is collected — the right way.
Along with patient identity, lab technicians can also view specimen orders and any specific instructions on the screen of the mobile computer or COW/WOW. Not only are the right specimens always collected, but also technicians can verify that instructions have been followed prior to specimen collection. For example, if a fasting period is required for a test, technicians can verify that the patient has not had any food or water before collecting the specimen, preventing improper collection procedures that could result in diagnosis errors as well as the cost of repeating the test.

Print labels right at the point of collection — eliminating the opportunity for labeling errors.
With the addition of a compact and lightweight printer that can be worn on a belt, placed on the COW/WOW cart, or positioned in the portable carrying tote, technicians can simply press a button to print a label for the specimen container that identifies the patient, the specimen type and the test to be performed. The label is then applied right at patient bedside for the just-in-time, real-time labeling that ensures the right specimen is always matched to the right patient — no errors.

Capture additional information to improve accountability and accuracy.
Technicians can scan their own badge to accurately identify and record the worker who collected the specimen in the test record. And when a patient's room number is captured — either with a bar code scan or by entering the number via the keypad — the additional layer of information helps prevent identity errors that could occur if a patient has been recently moved and is no longer in the room number designated in the LIS.

Thanks to the anywhere anytime availability of critical information and the automated capture of bar coded data, patients can count on receiving the right test results, the right diagnosis and the right treatment. The time savings means test results are available more rapidly, enabling proper treatment to begin faster. And since cycle times are reduced and accuracy eliminates the need for many repeat tests, lab capacity is increased. The lab can run more tests with the same staff and the same equipment, improving the efficiency and profitability of the lab.

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