title: Customized laboratory information management system for a clinical and research leukemia cytogenetics laboratory.
abstract: We developed a Microsoft Access-based laboratory management system to facilitate database management of leukemia patients referred for cytogenetic tests in regards to karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The database is custom-made for entry of patient data, clinical details, sample details, cytogenetics test results, and data mining for various ongoing research areas. A number of clinical research laboratoryrelated tasks are carried out faster using specific "queries." The tasks include tracking clinical progression of a particular patient for multiple visits, treatment response, morphological and cytogenetics response, survival time, automatic grouping of patient inclusion criteria in a research project, tracking various processing steps of samples, turn-around time, and revenue generated. Since 2005 we have collected of over 5,000 samples. The database is easily updated and is being adapted for various data maintenance and mining needs.
authors.forename: Sonal R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bakshi
authors.forename: Shilin N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Pankaj M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Shah