title: Guidelines for implementing automation in a hospital laboratory setting--part I.
abstract: Automation in the clinical laboratory does not have a long history, but its importance in the short-term evolution of testing cannot be overstated. To date, automation has primarily been limited to large hospital laboratories, although small- and medium-sized facilities are beginning to weigh the advantages of automated systems to help them solve problems caused by employee shortages and rising costs. In this first of a four-part series, we'll detail the history of automation and provide background on specific areas where automated systems are currently being used most prevalently.
authors.affiliation: Century City Doctors Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sarina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodriques
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D018511:Systems Integration