Innovations that result in substantial patient care improvements don’t happen very often and sometimes arise from unexpected quarters. An April 2009 article in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology by Zarbo et al at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit¹ showed a dramatic reduction in anatomic pathology errors (62% reduction in misidentified cases and 95% reduction in slide misidentification) after implementing a bar code labeling system throughout their work process.  We have also published on this subject.² This is a significant development in the health care system and points to the future of laboratory medicine, particularly in anatomic pathology.

As one of the few pathology organizations in the country to employ such technology, it is clear from our own experience, that while grocery store technology may not be as glamorous as delivering a chemotherapeutic agent directly to its target by monoclonal antibody, bar-coding has substantially improved patient care.

We use bar codes to track specimens from the time they are picked up by our couriers and to register their arrival at our central laboratory.  This FedEx style of tracking assures that we know what we pick up from each client, and where specimens are throughout our system.  Bar codes are placed on the client’s countertop and on the CellNetix provided requisitions.  When received in the laboratory, staff handling one specimen at a time print and apply 2D (two dimensional) bar code labels and all accompanying documents are digitally scanned into the specimen lab information system (LIS) record.  No further manual entry of accession codes is required and all documents are visible on the computer screen to staff (a true paperless system).

Pathologists receiving the slide trays no longer have stacks of paper work accompanying the slides.  They scan a slide from the case and the LIS displays the image of the requisition (and any other accompanying paper work) on one half of the work screen with the pathologist report template on the other half.  It speeds the process and reduces the opportunity for error.

These technologies and processes have significantly improved patient care and safety in anatomic pathology.

Our nation stands on the cusp of healthcare reform.  Bar-coding and other technological advances in laboratory systems should become a given.  Look for more state of the art anatomic pathology solutions in blogs to come.  All labs are not created equal!
 

1.  Zarbo RJ, Tuthill JM, D’Angelo R, Varney R, Mahar B, Neuman C, Ormsby A.  Reduction of Surgical Pathology In-Process Misidentification Defects by Bar Code-Specified Work Process Standardization.  American Journal of Clinical Pathology. 2009 131:468-477.
2. The Bulletin, Volume 88, Number 7, July/August 2009, King County Medical Society.