Phlebotomy Support

The client is a large hospital lab, recently given responsibility for Phlebotomy. Their problem is that the draw stations not only  are not on the LIS, the draw stations are not computerized at all.

Their problem is compounded by the fact that their LIS is not off-the-shelf but is rather long in the tooth.

Worse, the lab is entirely focused on inpatient specimens: their processes and procedures all assume an electronic order in the LIS followed by a tube labelled with an LIS collection label.

All we can count on at the draw stations is a secure network connection.

We bridge that gap in under two months:

• custom Linux-based thin clients to provide
• dependable known web browser
• barcode label printing and report printing
• a web app to
• greet the patient, establishing a start for wait time
• identify the patient using an up-to-date patient index
• support finding and using existing electronic orders (clinics)
• support turning a paper order into an electronic order
• UI of assays
• interface to LIS to place order as if from the HIS
• print a collection label compatible with the legacy LIS
• provide history of activity by draw station or across draw stations
• support drop-offs
• support clinical trials
• support ordering synonyms to match community ordering habits

We roll out our app to their completely computer illiterate user base, many of whom have never used a mouse.

We provide management metrics for wait times and patient visits and a link to the Lab Man database so that the phlebotomists have up-to-date collection instructions. (More on that original Lab Man here.)

Mon Dec 1 13:35:10 EST 2008
Major release:

• support EKG scheduling
• support Accession Issues to link front bench and draw stations
• support for Cc physicians
• support ordering web page matching custom requisitions

Sat Jun 27 06:26:44 EDT 2009
Major release:

• scanned req support: barcode and tracking and viewing
• tube tracking
• support cancelled code substitution
• support lab protocol order changing automatically

Sat Dec 12 06:33:47 EST 2009
Major release:

• support the new incoming LIS, SoftLab

Wed Feb 23 10:11:14 EST 2011
Major release:

• support ABNs: UI to accept the data, process to generate the forms