Voice Recognition Technology Implementation in Surgical Pathology: Advantages and Limitations

2011 ◽  
Vol 135 (11) ◽  
pp. 1476-1481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meenakshi Singh ◽  
Timothy R. Pal

Context.—Voice recognition technology (VRT) has been in use for medical transcription outside of laboratories for many years, and in recent years it has evolved to a level where it merits consideration by surgical pathologists. Objective.—To determine the feasibility and impact of making a transition from a transcriptionist-based service to VRT in surgical pathology. Design.—We have evaluated VRT in a phased manner for sign out of general and subspecialty surgical pathology cases after conducting a pilot study. We evaluated the effect on turnaround time, workflow, staffing, typographical error rates, and the overall ability of VRT to be adapted for use in surgical pathology. Results.—The stepwise implementation of VRT has resulted in real-time sign out of cases and improvement in average turnaround time from 4 to 3 days. The percentage of cases signed out in 1 day improved from 22% to 37%. Amendment rates for typographical errors have decreased. Use of templates and synoptic reports has been facilitated. The transcription staff has been reassigned to other duties and is successfully assisting in other areas. Resident involvement and exposure to complete case sign out has been achieved resulting in a positive impact on resident education. Conclusions.—Voice recognition technology allows for a seamless workflow in surgical pathology, with improvements in turnaround time and a positive impact on competency-based resident education. Individual practices may assess the value of VRT and decide to implement it, potentially with gains in many aspects of their practice.

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 237428951773634
Author(s):  
Chelsea R. Mehr ◽  
Amrom E. Obstfeld ◽  
Amanda C. Barrett ◽  
Kathleen T. Montone ◽  
Lauren E. Schwartz

Changes in the field of pathology and resident education necessitate ongoing evaluation of residency training. Evolutionary change is particularly important for surgical pathology rotations, which form the core of anatomic pathology training programs. In the past, we organized this rotation based on subjective insight. When faced with the recent need to restructure the rotation, we strove for a more evidence-based process. Our approach involved 2 primary sources of data. We quantified the number of cases and blocks submitted per case type to estimate workload and surveyed residents about the time required to gross specimens in all organ systems. A multidisciplinary committee including faculty, residents, and staff evaluated the results and used the data to model how various changes to the rotation would affect resident workload, turnaround time, and other variables. Finally, we identified rotation structures that equally distributed work and created a point-based system that capped grossing time for residents of different experience. Following implementation, we retrospectively compared turnaround time and duty hour violations before and after these changes and surveyed residents about their experiences with both systems. We evaluated the accuracy of the point-based system by examining grossing times and comparing them to the assigned point values. We found overall improvement in the rotation following the implementation. As there is essentially no literature on the subject of surgical pathology rotation organization, we hope that our experience will provide a road map to improve pathology resident education at other institutions.


2003 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Gregory ◽  
Wayne A. Pedersen

Librarians typically view interlibrary loan (ILL) as a means of providing access to items not owned by the local institution. However, they are less likely to explore ILL’s potential in providing timely access to items locally owned, but temporarily unavailable, particularly in the case of monographs in circulation. In a two-part study, the authors test the assumption that, on average, locally owned books that a patron finds unavailable (due to checkout) can be obtained more quickly via recall than via ILL. Phase 1 of this study establishes an average turnaround time for circulation recalls in a large academic library for comparison with well-established turnaround times for ILL borrowing transactions. In Phase 2, a more rigorous paired study of recalls and ILL compares the ability of each system to handle identical requests in real time. Results demonstrate that, under some circumstances, ILL provides a reasonable alternative to the internal recall process. The findings also underscore the need for more holistic, interservice models for improving not just access, but also the timeliness of access, to monograph collections.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-21
Author(s):  
Achmad Teguh Wibowo

Aspek penting dalam sistem operasi adalah multiprogramming. Multiprogramming adalah proses atau metode yang digunakan untuk mengekssekusi beberapa proses secara bersamaan dalam memori. Tujuan utamanya adalah untuk meminimalkan Average Waiting Time, Average Turnaround Time, dan memaksimalkan penggunaan CPU. Ada berbagai algoritma yang digunakan dalam multiprogramming seperti First Come First Serve (FCFS), Shortest Job First (SJF), Priority Scheduling (PS) dan Round Robin(RR). Diantara semua itu yang paling sering digunakan adalah Round Robin. Round Robin merupakan algoritma penjadwalan yang optimal dengn sistem timeshared. Dalam RR, waktu kuantum bersifat statis dan algoritma ini bergantung pada besarnya kuantum yang dipilih/digunakan. Kuantum inilah yang berpengaruh pada Average Waiting Time dan Average Turnaround Time nantinya. Tujuan dari makalah ini adalah mengusulkan algoritma yang lebih baik daripada Round Robin sederhana dan Smart Optimized Round Robin sebelumnya.


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (13) ◽  
pp. 964-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordyn P Higgins ◽  
Sarah Hardt ◽  
Debby Cowan ◽  
Eula Beasley ◽  
Stephen F Eckel

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the benefits of technology-assisted workflow (TAWF) compared to manual workflow (non-TAWF) on i.v. room efficiency, costs, and safety at community hospitals with less than 200 beds. Methods Four hospitals in the United States (2 with and 2 without TAWF) were evaluated, and characteristics of medication errors and frequency of each error type were measured across the institutions. The average turnaround time per workflow step and cost to prepare each compounded sterile product (CSP) were also calculated. The results were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The TAWF hospital sites detected errors at a significantly higher rate (3.78%) compared to the non-TAWF hospital sites (0.13%) (p < 0.05). The top error-reporting category for the TAWF sites was incorrect medication (71.66%), whereas the top error-reporting category for the non-TAWF sites could not be determined because of the small number of errors detected. Use of TAWF may be associated with a decrease in turnaround time and a decrease in overall cost to prepare a CSP. Conclusion Significantly more errors were detected in small community hospitals that use TAWF in the i.v. room compared to those not using it. There were differences in error types observed between technology and nontechnology groups. The use of TAWF was associated with faster preparation times and lower costs of preparation per CSP.


2020 ◽  
Vol 144 (11) ◽  
pp. 1321-1324
Author(s):  
Tamera A. Paczos

Context.— Declining reimbursement shifts hospital laboratories from system assets to cost centers. This has resulted in increased outsourcing of laboratory services, which can jeopardize a hospital systems' ability to respond to a health care crisis. Objectives.— To demonstrate that investment in a core laboratory serving an academic medical center equipped a regional health system to respond to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design.— COVID-19 diagnostic testing data were analyzed. Volumes were evaluated by result date (March 16, 2020–May 6, 2020), and the average of received-to-verified turnaround time was calculated and compared for in-house and send-out testing, and different in-house testing methodologies. Results.— Daily viral diagnostic testing capacity increased by greater than 3000% (from 21 tests per day to 658 tests per day). Total viral diagnostic testing reported by the core laboratory increased by 128 times during 22 days of test method validation and 826 times during the analysis period, while average turnaround time per day for send-out testing increased from 3.7 days to 21 days. Decreased overall average turnaround time was observed at the core laboratory (0.45 days) versus send-out testing (7.63 days) (P &lt; .001). Conclusions.— Investment in a core laboratory provided the health system with the necessary expertise and resources to mount a robust response to the pandemic. Local access to testing allowed rapid triage of patients and conservation of scarce personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition, the core laboratory was able to support regional health departments and several hospitals outside of the system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 237428951771476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna L. Conant ◽  
Pamela C. Gibson ◽  
Janice Bunn ◽  
Abiy B. Ambaye

Many pathology departments are introducing subspecialty sign-out in surgical pathology. In 2014, the University of Vermont Medical Center transitioned from general sign-out to partial subspecialty sign-out to include gastrointestinal and breast/cervix subspecialty benches; other specimens remained on general benches. Our experiences with the transition are described, including attending pathologist, trainee, support staff, and clinician satisfaction. A survey was e-mailed to all University of Vermont Medical Center anatomic pathology attendings, pathology trainees, pathologist assistants and grossing technicians, and clinicians who send surgical pathology specimens, immediately before and 1 year after transitioning to partial subspecialty sign-out. Quality assurance metrics were obtained for the 18 months prior to and following the transition. Gastrointestinal and breast/cervix attendings were more satisfied with partial subspecialty sign-out compared to those on the general benches. Overall, trainees were more satisfied with general sign-out because of the rotation schedule but preferred partial subspecialty sign-out due to improved teaching and more focused learning while on subspecialty benches. Clinicians remained very satisfied with our department and our reports; no differences were observed. Turnaround time was unchanged. After switching to partial subspecialty sign-out, there were significantly fewer discrepancies following multidisciplinary conference review for gastrointestinal and breast/cervix cases but remained the same for general cases. Fewer formal internal consults were performed after transitioning to partial subspecialty sign-out across all areas, but more notable for gastrointestinal and breast/cervix cases. Our data show improved quality assurance metrics and trainee education in a subspecialty sign-out setting compared to general sign-out setting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilma Dhiginina Isack ◽  
Michael Mutingi ◽  
Hileni Kandjeke ◽  
Abhishek Vashishth ◽  
Ayon Chakraborty

Purpose As the demand for efficiency and quality in the health-care industry has increased over the past few years, adoption of Lean principles and tools in the medical laboratory industry has become increasingly crucial. The purpose of this study is to explore the level of adoption, barriers and enablers of Lean principles and tools in the Namibian medical laboratory industry. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to examine the level of usage, barriers and enablers, impact of Lean tools and to suggest appropriate strategies for adopting Lean in the Namibian medical laboratory services. Findings Research findings reveal that Lean tools are moderately implemented in most laboratories. Standard operating procedures, root cause analysis, overall equipment effectiveness and visual management are the important Lean tools used in the industry. Results of the survey also show that Lean tools had a positive impact on operational performance, employee motivation, turnaround time and cost reduction. Furthermore, top management involvement, adequate training and proper planning emerged as important enablers, while lack of support from the management, financial constraint and staff resistant to change are major barriers to the adoption of Lean principles in the Namibian medical laboratory industry. Research limitations/implications The paper has inherent limitations of survey research, which the authors will overcome by using case studies with medical laboratories. Practical implications The findings of the authors’ work will help in widening the application of Lean principles in more medical laboratories in Namibia and in other parts of the world. Originality/value The paper is based on numerous health-care studies on Lean. This is one of the few papers investigating the adoption of Lean principles, specifically in medical laboratories, from an emerging economy such as Namibia.


1973 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Shores ◽  
Patricia Thomas Cegelka ◽  
C. Michael Nelson

This review takes a critical look at a major component of competency based teacher education: the derivation and validation of teacher competencies. The available literature indicates that teacher competencies tend to be derived from “expert” opinion rather than the direct observation of teacher behavior, that they often are not behaviorally stated or evaluated as to whether or not they have a positive impact on child performance, and that few teacher educators or researchers are attempting to validate competencies empirically before including them in teacher education programs. Research strategies to remediate these deficits are suggested.


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-39
Author(s):  
M Selvamani ◽  
B S Shruthi ◽  
P Vinodh Kumar

ABSTRACT Turnaround time is an important consideration in surgical pathology. Attempts to shorten the time necessary for making a histopathological slide from the surgical tissue has been tried in various ways since many decades without compromising the quality of it. One amongst such attempt is the introduction of microwave to the field of his totechnology. Microwaves, a form of electromagnetic wave induced heat when applied in histotechnology, reproducibly yields histolologic material of similar or superior quality to that provided by conventional processing methods making it more popular in the recent years. A laboratory microwave offers features like maximum output of 2000-3000 watts, an in built source of adjustable temperature probe, facility for ventilation of hazardous fumes, but is expensive. Considering the usefulness of microwave in histotechnology by reducing the time required for the diagnosis, replacing the conventional equipments of laboratories to microwave guided ones is a remarkable and an acceptable change.


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