Computerized management of a medical bacteriology laboratory using real-time processing

The computer system of the Bacteriology Laboratory at the Hôpital Cardiologique in Lyon is one of the elements in the computer management of patient data. It dovetails in with the various units for admission, patient location, ward surveillance, outpatient appointments. The main objectives are as follows: to improve quality of sample information, to reduce clerical work and accelerate information circulation, to widen the scope of epidemiological research. Computers can register samples, edit laboratory work sheets, entry lists, record results, generate reports, give a visual listing of all analyses performed before a patient leaves hospital, list pending analytical results, make available in the total system all laboratory-validated information, produce automatic billing of analyses and statistical editing. The Bacteriology Laboratory has three visual display units and two printers at its disposal. Computer laboratory management has been operational since May 1977. First results are satisfactory and suggest extension of the system to other laboratories and handling of quality control.