Lab results reporting streamlined at Richmond Hospital
A newly acquired piece of software has moved Richmond Hospital’s lab operations away from an outdated paper based tracking system to a new electronic monitoring board.
The addition of a new 50” monitor and OL software package has supplemented the previous paper-based pending lists as well as the manual tracking of sampling times at Richmond Hospital and across the Community of Care.
“Our old paper lists were time-consuming, they wasted paper and sometimes pending results would be missed,” said Teresa Sharp, chief technologist, Technical Operations, Richmond Hospital lab. “This new system, with the new monitor, is much better for everyone for tracking pending samples in real time.”
Patients and care teams benefit
Hanging visibly from the ceiling, the large OL screen displays pending lab results, colour-coded so lab techs know how long it has been since a sample has been collected.
Prior to the screen’s installation, pending test results were only checked every two or three hours. Now, with the OL, a steady stream of information is constantly fed into the system, ensuring timely access to lab results for the patients whose care path will be determined by them.
Although the lab is located in Richmond Hospital, it also serves Richmond Lions Manor, Minoru Residence, and the entire Richmond Community of Care.
Richmond lab by-the-numbers
- 60 staff including lab collectors, technologists, pathologists
- 24/7 operations
- 8 million tests completed in fiscal year 2014/15