Talking Laboratories - Our most popular blogs of 2020
Our Most Popular blogs of 2020
Our mission this year was to introduce our blog series that would inspire you to dig deeper when thinking about IT and informatics. No doubt, 2020 was an eventful year and Talking Laboratories wanted to be a part of the conversation. We hope that our blogs have been insightful and thought provoking.
Just in case you missed them, here are our most viewed blog posts of the year (plus a few honorable mentions).
Medical Technologists: The original informaticist
This was one or our first blogs and the most popular. We believe it resonated with our audience in the era or COVID because it speaks to the key role that laboratories have in the healthcare continuum. This year, the laboratory and medical technologist was front and center in the public view performing over 213 million COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic. The results generated from this testing drives over two-thirds of the medical decision making in the treatment of patients. The data elements that make up these results as you can imagine is enormous. Medical technologists are trained to identify data patterns and trends making them the first responders of data management. Read more here.
Why labs don’t implement autoverification
The increased volume of COVID-19 and general lab testing in 2020 has re-invigorated the conversation regarding automation. While the concept of automation is not new or revolutionary, many labs resist eliminating manual review of results. Technologists in a single shift can review thousands of results, performing tedious and mind-numbing actions to release results. This blog reviews the common reasons why many labs have not implemented the automation of result review despite readily available technology. Many of our readers found that this was true for them too. What is your reason for not implementing autoverification? Find out more here.
Autoverification: Your lab’s superpower
Autoverification is one of the most under-utilized technologies in the clinical laboratory. In a time where laboratory testing volume is massive and out-stripping the available labor to review results manually; autoverification and rules logic can eliminate this heavy burden. The use of automated result review decision logic can make the difference between adapting to demand or burning out your workforce. Autoverification has superpowers that you might not realize. Our readers were intrigued by the title. Check out this blog here.
COVID-19 dashboards-capturing data in motion
The pandemic has spawned many ideas of how to harness laboratory data and get it quickly to those that need it. One of these tools is the use of dashboards to display critical COVID-19 testing data. Ulysses Balis, MD, FCAP, FASCP Professor of Pathology & Director of Pathology Informatics from the University of Michigan, created a dashboard in his laboratory that captured the latest data to supplement management decision making. This blog was a favorite among our readers because it illustrated how laboratory data can be captured in real-time to help chart the course of an unpredictable virus. It is worth the read.
Is Clinical Laboratory Data BIG?
This blog is not meant to be a rhetorical question but to state the obvious. Laboratory data is important because it not only supports the monitoring and treatment of patient care, but it predicts the future. A test result is an aggregation of significant data elements that compose the final result. This blog reminds the reader that laboratory data is information that is indispensable not only to the care of the patient but becomes the history that fuels innovation and improvements in healthcare. Take a minute to be inspired by this blog.
Our honorable mentions of 2020
Is there a dinosaur in your lab?
A picture is worth a thousand words – this blog was created to invoke a reaction to some of the outdated manual processes that still exist in the laboratory. Manual result review processes are complex and are becoming more time-consuming as testing menus expand. These manual processes can be automated to eliminate error, improve turnaround time, and standardize result quality. Manual review processes are no longer sustainable where labor and supplies are limited. Our result review calculator can show you how much time you can save with automation. Read our blog and take the result review challenge to estimate your cost and time savings.
Let go of the tube !
Labs have a deep and personal relationship with each and every specimen. This depth of attachment to the specimen also extends to every result from the instrument. Technologists lovingly review each and every result often using sticky notes, lists and paper printouts to assist their manual review. Labs know that this is inefficient, but many continue to chase paper in favor of technology. This made the honorable mention list because it accurately describes the dedication labs still have to manually processing specimens and data. You will identify personally with this blog and many of our readers did too. Click here to read this popular blog.