Use of the Phoenix system for bacteriology

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Clinical Pathology
• Microbiology Data Management

Background:

• The previous system for microbiology data processing was obsolete and utilized remote batched job entry.
• Clinical pathology previously integrated chemical pathology and haematology, but lacked bacteriology.
• A dedicated microbiology system required separate data processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the integration of bacteriology into an existing on-line interactive clinical pathology system.
• To outline the adaptation of the Phoenix system for bacteriology data entry and processing.
• To highlight the advantages of the new integrated system over the previous dedicated microbiology system.

Main Methods:

• The existing clinical pathology system (Phoenix) was adapted for bacteriology data.
• Mnemonic codes were implemented for bacteriology data entry.
• Provisions were made to handle the longer processing times for bacteriology specimens.

Main Results:

• Bacteriology is now part of the integrated on-line clinical pathology system.
• The adapted Phoenix system successfully incorporates bacteriology data.
• Immediate linkage of all patient specimens and easy recall/display of results are now available.

Conclusions:

• The integration of bacteriology into the clinical pathology system represents a significant upgrade.
• The new system enhances data management by linking all patient specimens.
• Improved accessibility of results benefits laboratories and clinical wards.