The laboratory workstation: a data management model for a small laboratory section

Many small sections of clinical chemistry laboratories fail to benefit fully from laboratory information system (LIS) installation because the volume does not justify cost of interfacing the instruments in these sections to the LIS. The opportunity for manual data entry errors remains a problem in these sections. This paper describes the design of a laboratory workstation that serves as a data hub that makes it feasible to use one instrument interface line from the LIS to acquire data from four instruments. This approach reduces the likelihood of data entry error and improves the efficiency of personnel in the laboratory section. Further, the tools necessary to create such a workstation are commercially available and do not depend on microcomputer programming and support personnel within the chemistry laboratory.