|
October 16, 2006 Banner Desert Medical Center's new automation line saves over 800 manual steps to process over 1,000 specimens each day, does the work of four medical technologists, and allows staff to concentrate on analyzing bloodwork and critical values. The East Valley Tribune* reports that Banner Desert Medical Center's new automation line receives specimens via pneumatic tube, which then reads the bar code identifying the patient and the required tests, calculates the specimen's volume by centrifuge, and loads the specimen into the appropriate analyzer for the actual test.
One technologist supervises the automation line and test results via computer monitors, and when there is a critical result, the technologist informs the patient's caregiver.
Any additional tests for a patient ordered within 24 hours are also handled by the automation line with the original specimen, so no additional blood drawing is required.
With the new system 6 a.m. turnaround time is up from 76% to 92%.
*East Valley Tribune, August 23, 2006
|
