Difference between revisions of "Handling addon tubes"
From Tubetracker
(New page: There are a few ways of dealing with pulled add-on tubes in tube.tracker. At the heart of your decision is really the trade-off between operational efficiency and situational awareness. Be...) |
|||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
There are a few ways of dealing with pulled add-on tubes in tube.tracker. At the heart of your decision is really the trade-off between operational efficiency and situational awareness. Below are some options in order of increasing complexity: | There are a few ways of dealing with pulled add-on tubes in tube.tracker. At the heart of your decision is really the trade-off between operational efficiency and situational awareness. Below are some options in order of increasing complexity: | ||
− | + | ==Status quo== | |
− | + | *'''Description:''' add-on tubes are taken from storage without updating tube.tracker. When finished, tubes can be returned to their original location. | |
− | + | *'''Pros:''' No additional ‘work’ required in tube.tracker. | |
− | + | *'''Cons:''' tube.tracker database inaccurately reflects specimen’s status and history | |
− | + | *'''Applications:''' Small labs with small numbers of people handling specimens with good communications | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ==Physical/mechanical placeholders== | |
− | + | *'''Description:''' when removing an add-on specimen, a physical marker of some sort is placed in the specimen’s rack position, indicating that the specimen has been temporarily removed | |
− | + | *'''Pros:''' This is a fairly simple and elegant process that requires no additional work in tube.tracker | |
− | + | *'''Cons:''' Workers must manage and handle placeholders. System relies on techs accurately implementing the system and returning specimens back to their previous positions. Specimen’s history does not reflect these transactions. | |
− | + | *'''Applications:''' Medium sized labs with accountable and communicative staff. | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ==Delete/re-add addons== | |
− | + | *'''Description:''' add-on tubes are deleted from tube.tracker individually as they are pulled for re-testing. Upon completing of use, the specimen is added back to storage with newer post-analytical specimens. | |
− | + | *'''Pros:''' A fairly efficient way to keep an accurate electronic inventory of specimens. | |
− | + | *'''Cons:''' When the specimen is ‘re-added’ in a new rack, the history of its previous life in storage is treated as a separate specimen. This could be problematic with some types of testing such as chain-of-custody toxicology. | |
− | + | *'''Applications:''' Large, production laboratories with high throughput | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ==Track every movement of the specimen== | |
− | + | *'''Description:''' Add-on tubes are transferred into temporary holding racks that represent the person or department performing the add-on. Upon completion of testing, the specimen is then transferred to a new rack or its original location. | |
+ | *'''Pros:''' This provides the most accurate and comprehensive view of a specimens status and history. | ||
+ | *'''Cons:''' This is the most work-intensive process. The process may have difficulties getting buy in from the participants if the benefits from the enhanced tracking are not apparent to the users | ||
+ | *'''Applications:''' Specialized, regulates, or multi-homed laboratories requiring detailed and comprehensive ‘birth to death’ specimen tracking |
Revision as of 19:34, 29 April 2009
There are a few ways of dealing with pulled add-on tubes in tube.tracker. At the heart of your decision is really the trade-off between operational efficiency and situational awareness. Below are some options in order of increasing complexity:
Contents
Status quo
- Description: add-on tubes are taken from storage without updating tube.tracker. When finished, tubes can be returned to their original location.
- Pros: No additional ‘work’ required in tube.tracker.
- Cons: tube.tracker database inaccurately reflects specimen’s status and history
- Applications: Small labs with small numbers of people handling specimens with good communications
Physical/mechanical placeholders
- Description: when removing an add-on specimen, a physical marker of some sort is placed in the specimen’s rack position, indicating that the specimen has been temporarily removed
- Pros: This is a fairly simple and elegant process that requires no additional work in tube.tracker
- Cons: Workers must manage and handle placeholders. System relies on techs accurately implementing the system and returning specimens back to their previous positions. Specimen’s history does not reflect these transactions.
- Applications: Medium sized labs with accountable and communicative staff.
Delete/re-add addons
- Description: add-on tubes are deleted from tube.tracker individually as they are pulled for re-testing. Upon completing of use, the specimen is added back to storage with newer post-analytical specimens.
- Pros: A fairly efficient way to keep an accurate electronic inventory of specimens.
- Cons: When the specimen is ‘re-added’ in a new rack, the history of its previous life in storage is treated as a separate specimen. This could be problematic with some types of testing such as chain-of-custody toxicology.
- Applications: Large, production laboratories with high throughput
Track every movement of the specimen
- Description: Add-on tubes are transferred into temporary holding racks that represent the person or department performing the add-on. Upon completion of testing, the specimen is then transferred to a new rack or its original location.
- Pros: This provides the most accurate and comprehensive view of a specimens status and history.
- Cons: This is the most work-intensive process. The process may have difficulties getting buy in from the participants if the benefits from the enhanced tracking are not apparent to the users
- Applications: Specialized, regulates, or multi-homed laboratories requiring detailed and comprehensive ‘birth to death’ specimen tracking