Journal:Informatics-driven quality improvement in the modern histology lab
| Full article title | Informatics driven quality improvement in the modern histology lab |
|---|---|
| Journal | JAMIA Open |
| Author(s) | Seifert, Robert P.; Casler, Vektra; Al Qaysi, Nada; Gothi, Shaileshbhai R.; Williams, Leah; Christensen, Patricia R.; Flax, Sherri; Chamala, Srikar |
| Author affiliation(s) | University of Florida - Gainesville, UF Health Medical Laboratories |
| Primary contact | schamala at ufl dot edu |
| Year published | 2020 |
| Volume and issue | 3 |
| Page(s) | 4 |
| DOI | 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooaa066 |
| ISSN | 2574-2531 |
| Distribution license | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International |
| Website | https://academic.oup.com/jamiaopen/article/3/4/530/6012900 |
| Download | https://academic.oup.com/jamiaopen/article-pdf/3/4/530/36625866/ooaa066.pdf (PDF) |
 |
This article should be considered a work in progress and incomplete. Consider this article incomplete until this notice is removed. |
Abstract
Laboratory information systems (LISs) and data visualization techniques have untapped potential in anatomic pathology laboratories. The pre-built functionalities of an LIS do not address all the needs of a modern histology laboratory. For instance, “go live” is not the end of LIS customization, only the beginning. After closely evaluating various histology lab workflows, we implemented several custom data analytics dashboards and additional LIS functionalities to monitor and address weaknesses. Herein, we present our experience with LIS and data-tracking solutions that improved trainee education, slide logistics, staffing and instrumentation lobbying, and task tracking. The latter was addressed through the creation of a novel “status board” akin to those seen in inpatient wards. These use-cases can benefit other histology laboratories.
Lay summary: Histopathology is the branch of medicine that involves the gross and microscopic examination of sampled tissue to help reach a diagnosis. Histology lab workflows incorporate a multitude of automated and manual steps that require close monitoring. Data visualization is a powerful tool that can illustrate workflow trends using a graphic representation of data. This manuscript describes data visualization and data analysis techniques leveraged to address frequent pitfalls in histology laboratory workflows. This led to multiple improvements in patient safety and quality of care. Our use-case solutions, presented here, can be adapted by other histology laboratories to overcome common laboratory challenges.
Keywords: informatics, laboratory information system, quality improvement, pathology, workflow
Introduction
References
Notes
This presentation is faithful to the original, with only a few minor changes to presentation and updates to spelling and grammar. In some cases important information was missing from the references, and that information was added.
