Specimen Management

AORN Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 505-513
Author(s):  
Lisa Spruce
Keyword(s):  
Specimen Management

scholarly journals Improving diagnostic specimen management systems in an oral medicine department

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e000926
Author(s):  
Olivia Barratt ◽  
Melanie Simms ◽  
Miriam John ◽  
Michael Lewis ◽  
Phil Atkin
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Oral Medicine ◽  
Medicine Department ◽  
Test Management ◽  
Sustained Reduction ◽  
Specimen Management

Histological, haematological and microbiological investigations are essential in the field of oral medicine and are a crucial adjunct to clinical findings, often being relied on to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Importantly, in some cases, these investigations can help exclude or confirm the presence of malignancy. This project highlighted some problems regarding labelling and recording of specimens in an oral medicine department and a lack of clear specimen management processes. It aimed to improve specimen management by reducing reported incidents surrounding diagnostic tests. Quality improvement methods such as process mapping were key to understanding the journey of specimens and the departments involved at each stage of the system. Initiatives included a recording log book, staff training, information signage around the clinic and delegation of responsibilities, all of which were implemented over multiple plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycles. The project was extremely successful and since implementation there has been a clear and sustained reduction in reported incidents. The small number of incidents which did occur all involved transportation of specimens and none involved labelling or recording. One can conclude that the change in test management systems in terms of recording and labelling of specimens in the department has been sustained. Ongoing engagement with stakeholders and senior leaders is the priority to ensure further reduction in incidents in the future and that the improvements are maintained. This project demonstrates how simple, realistic, cost-effective, quality improvement initiatives can have a significant positive impact on patient care and hospital management systems.

Decalcified Bone: Twenty Years of Successful Specimen Management

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Skinner ◽  
Sandra G. Hickmon ◽  
Charles K. Lumpkin ◽  
James Aronson ◽  
Richard W. Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Specimen Management

scholarly journals A Mobility Aware Binary Tree Algorithm to Resolve RFID Jam and Bottleneck Problems in a Next Generation Specimen Management System

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 755
Author(s):  
Yen-Hung Chen ◽  
Yen-An Chen ◽  
Shu-Rong Huang
Keyword(s):  
Radio Frequency Identification ◽  
Binary Tree ◽  
Arrival Rate ◽  
Tag Identification ◽  
Coverage Area ◽  
Tree Algorithm ◽  
Clinical Laboratories ◽  
Conveyor Belts ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Specimen Management

Hospitals are continuously working to reduce delayed analysis and specimen errors during transfers from testing stations to clinical laboratories. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, which provide automated specimen labeling and tracking, have been proposed as a solution to specimen management that reduces human resource costs and analytic delays. Conventional RFID solutions, however, confront the problem of traffic jams and bottlenecks on the conveyor belts that connect testing stations with clinical laboratories. This mainly results from methods which assume that the arrival rate of specimens to laboratory RFID readers is fixed/stable, which is unsuitable and impractical in the real world. Previous RFID algorithms have attempted to minimize the time required for tag identification without taking the dynamic arrival rates of specimens into account. Therefore, we propose a novel RFID anti-collision algorithm called the Mobility Aware Binary Tree Algorithm (MABT), which can be used to improve the identification of dynamic tags within the reader’s coverage area and limited dwell time.

Guidelines in Practice: Specimen Management

AORN Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 443-455
Author(s):  
Terri Link
Keyword(s):  
Specimen Management
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