title: Role of WhatsApp Messenger in the Laboratory Management System: A Boon to Communication.
abstract: The revolution of internet and specifically mobile internet has occurred at a blinding pace over the last decade. With the advent of smart phones, the hand held device has become much more than a medium of voice calling. Healthcare has been catching up with the digital revolution in the form of Hospital Information System and Laboratory Information System. However, the advent of instant messaging services, which are abundantly used by the youth, can be used to improve communication and coordination among the various stake holders in the healthcare sector. We have tried to look at the impact of using the WhatsApp messenger service in the laboratory management system, by forming multiple groups of the various subsections of the laboratory. A total of 35 members used this service for a period of 3 months and their response was taken on a scale of 1 to 10. There was significant improvement in the communication in the form of sharing photographic evidence, information about accidents, critical alerts, duty rosters, academic activities and getting directives from seniors. There was also some increase in the load of adding information to the application and disturbance in the routine activities; but the benefits far outweighed the minor hassles. We thereby suggest and foresee another communication revolution which will change the way information is shared in a healthcare sector, with hospital specific dedicated apps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, 122001, India. dorwal@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pranav
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, 122001, India.
authors.forename: Ritesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sachdev
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, 122001, India.
authors.forename: Dheeraj
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, 122001, India.
authors.forename: Dharmendra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Medanta Institute of Education and Research, Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, 122001, India.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, 122001, India.
authors.forename: Assem Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon, 122001, India.
authors.forename: Vimarsh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raina
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003219:Confidentiality; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D063731:Mobile Applications; D000068997:Smartphone; D060145:Text Messaging; D016526:Workload
keywords: Laboratory management; Social media; WhatsApp