title: Evaluation of a microcomputer-based clinical laboratory data acquisition system linked with a minicomputer-based patient data management system.
abstract: We describe a microcomputer-based clinical laboratory data acquisition system linked with a minicomputer-based patient data management system and report on its performance. The system consists of a microcomputer and six laboratory analyzers: a blood gas analyzer, a flame photometer, a plasma osmotic pressure meter, a chloride ion titrator, a blood sugar analyzer, and a hemoglobin concentration and saturation meter. With the addition of a previously developed microinterface unit to each laboratory analyzer, data from each analyzer can be automatically transmitted to the microcomputer through a communication network. These data are then automatically transmitted to the patient data management system and thereby become part of that data base. Performance of this system was evaluated in two ways: (1) by comparing the turnaround time from an anesthetist's order for a laboratory analysis to receipt of the analysis with the time required in a control situation and (2) by comparing the number of steps a laboratory technician is required to walk to obtain and deliver the laboratory result with the number of steps required in a control situation in which no system was used. The turnaround time and the number of steps walked using this system were 552 +/- 41 seconds (n = 19, P less than 0.001) and 197 +/- 31 steps, respectively (n = 19, P less than 0.001), contrasted with 622 +/- 52 seconds and 374 +/- 87 steps without the system.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Center, Hamamatsu University Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003199:Computer Systems; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D008838:Microcomputers; D008905:Minicomputers; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D012984:Software