Managing the evolution of a laboratory computer system

The Laboratory Information System (LABIS) of the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., was installed in 1974. Since that time, the system has undergone transitions which suggest that its evolution proceeded in three distinct stages. The author details the different management techniques and supervisory qualifications that each stage of growth requires, and he explains how an understanding of these requirements will enable the pathologist to adjust better to the evolution of the system.