Physicians rely on clinical laboratory tests for accurate, timely, and confidential results.
A clinical lab plays an integral part of the three functions of medical schools – research, Best fake diplomas, and patient care.
Clinical laboratory management involves increasing quality and efficiency by tracking operational metrics. This webinar will assist in creating and implementing a system to enhance daily improvement within phlebotomy or specimen collection services.
Obtaining Samples
Acquisition of samples in a laboratory is one of the cornerstones of medical laboratory testing. Be it blood, urine, stool or tissue collection; each step must be executed with care and precision to provide optimal patient results.
Hospital laboratories typically experience their busiest period from 2:00 am to 10:00 am as nurses and physicians place orders with lab scientists for common tests such as complete blood counts and chemistry profiles for their patients. Phlebotomists then collect these specimens before couriers transport them back to be processed by laboratory scientists so they can be reported back on during daily rounds by physicians.
Central laboratory services often process these samples using cutting-edge automated analyzers, which allows a lab to run more tests more quickly and accurately with reduced human error, reduced contamination from manual handling of specimens, and more sterile results from handling procedures. These machines help ensure the best possible experience when handling samples for lab analyses.
Large amounts of data are transferred between hospital information systems, EHR, and laboratory instruments using a standard format known as laboratory information systems or LIS. This data is managed using various software programs that use computers, terminology standards, and other means to store patient information, test requests and results.
Processing Samples
Today’s clinical labs rely heavily on advanced robotics for testing minute volumes of blood and other body fluids from thousands of samples in an hour – providing highly accurate, reproducible answers that humans cannot match. These machines give fast answers that humans simply can’t match!
As part of their analysis process, samples must first be labeled with laboratory numbers and patient identifiers entered into a laboratory information system (LIS). Test requests can then be uploaded directly into this LIS. Once ready for testing, specimens may be prepared in various ways such as centrifuging to isolate serum/plasma from whole blood samples before being labeled according to test requests and taken to analyzers for analysis.
Lab personnel are typically overseen by a general or technical supervisor who typically holds certification in anatomic pathology or clinical pathology from either an accredited medical practitioner or osteopath, respectively. Furthermore, other qualified scientists and/or clinicians may assist.
Laboratory operations managers and directors are accountable for overseeing daily laboratory operations efficiently and productively, from quality of testing performed, through to implementation and evaluation of processes affecting efficiency and productivity. This program features courses taught by experienced laboratory professionals with firsthand and consulting experience in the operational management of clinical laboratories.
Analyzing Samples
Many laboratory tests require small samples that are challenging to work with, which increases the probability of errors. To reduce this risk, laboratories are recommended to rerun samples using duplicates obtained under identical conditions – particularly important if samples require specialized equipment like gas chromatographs (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), or electrophoresis instruments – and use duplicates as indicators of instrument stability, consistency in sample preparation and analysis, or as an estimate of field proficiency.
Clinical labs perform various analyses on body fluids or tissue samples taken from a person, such as histopathology (examination of tissue sections for signs of cancer and other diseases), cytopathology (examination of cellular samples such as blood or cervical smears for signs of inflammation or infection), molecular diagnostics (DNA or RNA analysis), sperm analysis, reproductive biology testing and gross pathology (examination of organs, limbs and tumors biopsied during surgery such as breast mastectomies). Laboratory scientists perform routine and highly specialized tests to communicate results back to physicians and health care professionals.
Most samples arrive with a request form detailing which tests should be run, which must be filled out by health care providers or patients. Once complete, this data is entered into our laboratory information system (LIS), either through typing in test numbers manually or scanning barcodes (for automated analyzers). Finally, samples are processed and sent to their designated departments for analysis.
Reporting Results
A good laboratory report does more than simply present data; it also serves to demonstrate its author’s grasp of the principles being tested through experimentation. Therefore, using concise language throughout is important – even within sections such as Methods. Be sure to provide details regarding experimental design and steps taken for collecting and analyzing your data as part of the Methods section. Also, ensure you properly credit any sources from which concepts or information have been taken as plagiarism can be considered an academic offense; including credible sources like textbooks or peer-reviewed journal articles can give your results credibility as well as give results and conclusions additional credibility.
Global Laboratory service must always follow safe practices when handling chemicals, materials, or equipment. Workers should receive adequate safety precautions such as gloves, eye protection, lab coats, and safety glasses; areas must remain clear from unauthorized materials that could block emergency showers, eye wash exits, or hallways and in case of an accident should notify their supervisor immediately.
