Re: [Gnumed-devel] Schema question re labs

[Sebastian Hilbert]

On Mittwoch 06 Februar 2008, James Busser wrote:
> In
>
>       http://salaam.homeunix.com/~ncq/gnumed/schema/devel/gnumed-
> schema.html#clin.table.lab-request
>

In Germany or at least in some settings and even in my hospital the lab 
provides barcodes to attach to tubes. In my hospital we even electronically 
request lab tests which are attached to the barcode in the database so when 
they scan in the tube's barcode they know what tests to run.

We used to have paper where we had to check off lab test but we did away with 
them. Most of the time here in Germany we know the name/abbreviation of a lab 
test for a particular lab. It hardly changes but obviously can change.

Different labs do have different codes but we almost never have situation 
where we hand tubes to a patient , let them choose the lab and later expect 
the computer to magically know some weird abbreviation.

If your labs don't change the codes very often it might be useful to have per 
lab code reference sheets which will have to be maintained manually by the 
lab or doctor or group of doctors. 

-- 
Sebastian Hilbert 
Leipzig / Germany
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