COMPUTERS IN LABORATORY

Due to increase in the number of tests performed in the clinical laboratory, the
need to process this information efficiently and accurately has become essential. Many
laboratory information systems have been developed to assist in the delivery of the data.
The laboratory computer system must be capable of delivering this information to the
physician, billing department, patient record department, and other administrative support
sites, and to ensure that the data are communicated in a timely manner.

FUNCTIONS AND USES:

Important function is to organize the various pieces of information and provide
ready access to this information when it is needed.
In the laboratory, the computer is to provide the physician with one
comprehensive laboratory report that contains all the test information generated by the
various laboratories that have performed analyses for the patient. The format of the
report should be such that the test results are clear and unambiguous.
Other uses could be to provide data for the hospital billing department, send
patient laboratory test data to the record room, and provide list of available laboratory
tests for the physician.
Computer stores information regarding laboratory policies, mission statements
regarding specific objectives for the particular laboratory facility and statements about
laboratory medicine philosophy, in general. And also various test procedures, reference
range statistics, the quality control systems used, test procedure reference materials, dates
of adoption of new test methods, and evidence of other periodic review measures which
are all helpful in intralaboratory communication.
In the field of extra laboratory communication, information regarding specimen
requirements, procurement, transport, and processing – can be stored in an accessible
form. A well designed easily accessible data offers significant improvements in medical
record keeping patient care planning, budget planning, and general operations
management tasks.
Components of the laboratory computer are hardware – central processing unit,
Data storage devices – random access memory, Magnetic tapes, hard disks, floppy discs,
input devices – keyboard, bar-code reader, mouse, touch screens, and output devices –
printer.

SOFTWARE:
Instructions which direct the computer to perform its specific tasks are called the
software or program. Software programmes are written in a specific language so that the
computer can understand or accept it. These instructions direct the various tasks to be
done, using a predetermined order.

SUMMARY:
The laboratory computer system must be capable of delivering this information
to the physician, billing department, patient record department, and other administrative
support sites, and to ensure that the data are communicated in a timely manner. In the
laboratory, the computer is to provide the physician with one comprehensive laboratory
report that contains all the test information generated by the various laboratories that have
performed analyses for the patient. The format of the report should be such that the test
results are clear and unambiguous. Other uses could be to provide data for the hospital
billing department, send patient laboratory test data to the record room, and provide list
of available laboratory tests for the physician. Components of the laboratory computer
are hardware – central processing unit, Data storage devices – random access memory,
Magnetic tapes, hard disks, floppy discs, input devices – keyboard, bar-code reader,
mouse, touch screens, and output devices – printer.

KEYWORDS: Laboratory Computers, administrative support, hardwares, softwares.

QUESTIONS:
1. What is the need of computers in laboratory?
2. What are the functions of computers in laboratory?
3. What are the components of laboratory computer?

ANSWERS:
1. Due to increase in the number of tests performed in the clinical laboratory, the
need to process this information efficiently and accurately has become essential.
Many laboratory information systems have been developed to assist in the
delivery of the data.
2. In the laboratory, the computer is to provide the physician with one
comprehensive laboratory report that contains all the test information generated
by the various laboratories that have performed analyses for the patient. Other
uses could be to provide data for the hospital billing department, send patient
laboratory test data to the record room, and provide list of available laboratory
tests for the physician. Computer stores information regarding laboratory
policies, mission statements regarding specific objectives for the particular
laboratory facility and statements about laboratory medicine philosophy, in
general.
3. Components of the laboratory computer are hardware – central processing unit,
Data storage devices – random access memory, Magnetic tapes, hard disks,
floppy discs, input devices – keyboard, bar-code reader, mouse, touch screens,
and output devices – printer.