Decision-making laboratory computer systems as essential tools for achievement of total quality

Area of Science:

• Clinical Laboratory Science
• Health Informatics
• Quality Management Systems

Background:

• Significant laboratory errors (nearly 95%) originate from nonanalytical phases (front and back ends) of the testing process.
• Existing laboratory computer systems primarily manage predictable data, leaving infrequent, unpredictable events to manual intervention.
• Manual systems, or 'workarounds,' are prone to inconsistent handling due to their sporadic and unpredictable nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an expert laboratory computer system designed to manage both predictable and unpredictable data events.
• To eliminate the need for manual workarounds in laboratory testing processes.
• To provide a real-time solution for quality assurance throughout the entire laboratory testing workflow.

Main Methods:

• Development of an expert laboratory computer system integrated with a dynamic database.
• Real-time detection and predictable handling of diverse data events.
• Automation of up to 31 distinct tasks previously managed by human workarounds.

Main Results:

• The expert system effectively handles both predictable and unpredictable data events, mitigating the need for manual workarounds.
• Real-time data event detection and predictable management are achieved through the dynamic database integration.
• The system provides a comprehensive tool for addressing quality assurance challenges across the laboratory testing process.

Conclusions:

• Expert computer systems offer a robust solution to mitigate nonanalytical errors in laboratory testing.
• Automating the handling of unpredictable data events significantly improves laboratory quality assurance.
• This approach enhances efficiency and reliability by replacing manual workarounds with predictable, system-driven actions.