Biomaterial Database

The "hospital central laboratory": automation, integration and clinical usefulness. 2010

Martina Zaninotto, and Mario Plebani

Department of Laboratory Medicine, University-Hospital, Padova, Italy. martina.zaninotto@sanita.padova.it

Recent technological developments in laboratory medicine have led to a major challenge, maintaining a close connection between the search of efficiency through automation and consolidation and the assurance of effectiveness. The adoption of systems that automate most of the manual tasks characterizing routine activities has significantly improved the quality of laboratory performance; total laboratory automation being the paradigm of the idea that "human-less" robotic laboratories may allow for better operation and insuring less human errors. Furthermore, even if ongoing technological developments have considerably improved the productivity of clinical laboratories as well as reducing the turnaround time of the entire process, the value of qualified personnel remains a significant issue. Recent evidence confirms that automation allows clinical laboratories to improve analytical performances only if trained staff operate in accordance with well-defined standard operative procedures, thus assuring continuous monitoring of the analytical quality. In addition, laboratory automation may improve the appropriateness of test requests through the use of algorithms and reflex testing. This should allow the adoption of clinical and biochemical guidelines. In conclusion, in laboratory medicine, technology represents a tool for improving clinical effectiveness and patient outcomes, but it has to be managed by qualified laboratory professionals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007755	Laboratories, Hospital	Hospital facilities equipped to carry out investigative procedures.	Hospital Laboratories,Hospital Laboratory,Laboratory, Hospital
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001331	Automation	Controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human organs of observation, effort, and decision. (From Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 1993)	Automations
D017056	Medical Laboratory Personnel	Health care professionals, technicians, and assistants staffing LABORATORIES in research or health care facilities.	Clinical Laboratory Personnel,Clinical Laboratory Scientists,Clinical Laboratory Technicians,Medical Laboratory Assistants,Medical Laboratory Scientists,Medical Laboratory Technicians,Medical Technologists,Assistant, Medical Laboratory,Assistants, Medical Laboratory,Clinical Laboratory Personnels,Clinical Laboratory Scientist,Clinical Laboratory Technician,Laboratory Assistant, Medical,Laboratory Assistants, Medical,Laboratory Personnel, Clinical,Laboratory Personnel, Medical,Laboratory Personnels, Clinical,Laboratory Personnels, Medical,Laboratory Scientist, Clinical,Laboratory Scientist, Medical,Laboratory Scientists, Clinical,Laboratory Scientists, Medical,Laboratory Technician, Clinical,Laboratory Technician, Medical,Laboratory Technicians, Clinical,Laboratory Technicians, Medical,Medical Laboratory Assistant,Medical Laboratory Personnels,Medical Laboratory Scientist,Medical Laboratory Technician,Medical Technologist,Personnel, Clinical Laboratory,Personnel, Medical Laboratory,Personnels, Clinical Laboratory,Personnels, Medical Laboratory,Scientist, Clinical Laboratory,Scientist, Medical Laboratory,Scientists, Clinical Laboratory,Scientists, Medical Laboratory,Technician, Clinical Laboratory,Technician, Medical Laboratory,Technicians, Clinical Laboratory,Technicians, Medical Laboratory,Technologist, Medical,Technologists, Medical
D019095	Point-of-Care Systems	Laboratory and other services provided to patients at the bedside. These include diagnostic and laboratory testing using automated information entry.	Bedside Computing,Point of Care Technology,Bedside Technology,Point-of-Care,Bedside Technologies,Computing, Bedside,Point of Care,Point of Care Systems,Point-of-Care System,Systems, Point-of-Care,Technologies, Bedside,Technology, Bedside
D019411	Clinical Laboratory Techniques	Techniques used to carry out clinical investigative procedures in the diagnosis and therapy of disease.	Clinical Laboratory Test,Clinical Laboratory Testing,Clinical Laboratory Diagnoses,Clinical Laboratory Testings,Clinical Laboratory Tests,Diagnoses and Laboratory Examinations,Diagnosis, Laboratory,Laboratory Diagnosis,Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses,Laboratory Techniques, Clinical,Clinical Laboratory Technique,Diagnose, Clinical Laboratory,Laboratory Diagnoses,Laboratory Technique, Clinical,Laboratory Test, Clinical,Laboratory Testing, Clinical,Technique, Clinical Laboratory,Test, Clinical Laboratory,Testing, Clinical Laboratory
D019985	Benchmarking	Method of measuring performance against established standards of best practice.	Benchmarking, Health Care,Benchmarks,Best Practice Analysis,Metrics,Benchmark,Benchmarking, Healthcare,Analysis, Best Practice,Health Care Benchmarking,Healthcare Benchmarking