Morning Becky.

It strikes me that workflow not software is your issue.  Maybe if I explain
how we use our system (SoftPath from SCC) it might help.

We do have clerical staff accession our surgical and non-GYN specimens as
they come in.  We then print barcode specimen and requisition labels and
proceed to gross description.  We enter the number of blocks, pieces of
tissue, decal , etc., into the computer at the sinks as we are doing the
gross description (real time).  This works for us and we do approximately
250 surgical and 50 non-GYN cases per day.  However we could manually label
our cases with an accession number, perform gross description, manually
write the block information on a log sheet and enter the data into the
system after the stenos have accessioned the cases.  Our system allows us to
either use the next available number ( which is how we use it) or to enter
the number we want (such as your scenario).

I'm obviously biased and more in favor of the way we use our system.  I feel
it leads to fewer transcription errors in the case number field.  It really
hasn't slowed us down at all.  We simply have dedicated clerical support for
order entry starting first thing in the morning and continuing throughout
the day.  

It really depends on your individual workload and the times you can have
clerical support.

I hope this helps a little.  If you have any questions get in touch with me
anytime.


Karen MacLennan
Manager Histology/Cytology
Pasqua Hospital
Regina Saskatchewan, Canada
Ph:	306-766-2311
e-mail:	kmaclennan@reginahealth.sk.ca <mailto:kmaclennan@reginahealth.sk.ca>



	----------
	From:  Becky Scholes [SMTP:raws43@hotmail.com]
<mailto:[SMTP:raws43@hotmail.com]> 
	Sent:  Tuesday, June 20, 2000 8:05 AM
	To:  histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
<mailto:histonet@pathology.swmed.edu> 
	Subject:  Order Entry

	Fellow AP Histonetters,

	Our lab is shopping for a new computer system, and they all have a
feature 
	that could turn our accessioning system upside down.  With the
system we 
	have now, we apply an accession number to the case with a preprinted

	computer generated sticker.  (I print 4,000 at a time.) In this way,
we can 
	gross in over 60 cases first thing in the morning, and the medical 
	secretaries do order entry in the computer whenever they have time.
With 
	the new computer systems, the case has to be entered before you can
be 
	assigned an accession number and do gross.  This will really slow us
up, 
	especially since the medical secretaries think that now we will be
doing the 
	order entry.  So now I have to think outside the box.  How do other
people 
	do it that have heavy work loads and a computer system like the one
I will 
	have?

	Bec the Tec
	
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