01 · The problem
What problem does it solve?
A diagnostic lab with three collection centres handles 400 samples a day, a third from home collection. Samples are labelled by hand, results typed from the analysers, and reports printed and signed in a batch.
Patients and doctors call to ask whether reports are ready; the front desk can’t tell without walking to the lab. A critical potassium value was reported late last month because nobody saw it in the pile.
Phone calls
The front desk answers “is it ready?” all day.
Missed TAT
Reports late without anyone noticing.
Critical delays
Dangerous values buried in a batch.
Label errors
Handwritten tubes swapped or misread.