Laboratory Management Research Articles

Management Analysis of the Uhamka Physics Laboratory in Jakarta: Evaluation of Planning, Organizing and Maintenance

This research aims to determine laboratory management in physics learning at FKIP UHAMKA Jakarta. This research is a qualitative descriptive study. This research was conducted at the UHAMKA Physics Laboratory, Jakarta. Data collection methods include observation, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques consist of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the research show that laboratory planning is not yet good, because there are overlapping duties and responsibilities. From the results of interviews, the organization of the laboratory has not been carried out well because there is no laboratory assistant specifically assigned to take care of it, so far the person in charge of the laboratory also doubles as a lecturer so that the laboratory does not managed well, maintaining laboratory cleanliness has been said to be good. No dust sticks to the practice table and equipment. Students are involved in maintenance by cleaning practical equipment before and after learning. Maintenance of practical equipment is carried out periodically as stated by Mr. SG, the last stage is supervision, which aims to monitor and control laboratory management from various aspects, be it supervision of equipment and materials, laboratory users or supervision of human resources or management staff.

Updates in the care and management of children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus.

This narrative review offers an update of the most important recent articles published in the previous year of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE), focusing on care and management. Age-related disparities may play a significant role in the clinical and laboratory characteristics of cSLE, as well as its performance in distinct classification criteria. Monogenic lupus is associated with higher disease damage scores and mortality rate compared to sporadic cSLE. Adolescent face unique challenges, with comorbid psychiatric diagnosis, low resilience and nonadherence posing relevant challenges. A recent international task force has outlined pivotal principles and points-to-consider for treat-to-target (T2T) in cSLE patients. While the past year did yield new randomized controlled trial for cSLE treatment, publications focused on broader management strategies, including the impact of ultraviolet radiation exposure, immunization, and strict blood pressure control. Additionally, case reports and series have evaluated the efficacy/safety profiles of both available and emerging treatments. Current studies highlighted the various facets of cSLE, epidemiology, clinical, laboratory, classification criteria, adolescent issues, prognosis, surveillance, T2T approach and drug management. Despite notable progress, the scarcity of randomized trials emphasizes the need to delineate safer and more efficacious treatment modalities in cSLE.

Digital Lab

This research paper explores the implementation of a "Digital Lab" platform designed to revolutionize traditional lab management in education. The platform facilitates real-time collaboration between faculty and students, irrespective of physical locations, fostering engagement and knowledge sharing. This paper presents the problem of student disengagement, outlines the platform's objectives, and discusses the key features, including scheduling, resource allocation, and equipment management. The paper also addresses the need for real-time monitoring to enhance student accountability and productivity. Keywords: Laboratory management, Student engagement, Real-time collaboration, Remote learning, Real-time monitoring

Ethical and Legal Implications of Data Sharing in SaaS Laboratory Management Systems

Over the years, the use of Software as a Service (SaaS) in a laboratory information management system has transformed sharing and management in the latter system. Such a transformation, however, brings along complex ethical and legal challenges for which scrutiny is supposed to be considered. Implication for adopting SaaS platforms includes fundamental concern about data privacy, security, and the overall integrity of scientific research. The paper systematically analyses ethical and legal implications associated with data sharing through SaaS platforms in the management of laboratories. This thus revolves around the understanding of how these systems can handle key aspects such as data ownership, respect for privacy, and compliance with international laws, and the resultant effects these would have on respective stakeholders across the scientific community. We, in this approach, have reviewed a wide range of literature, including fine details of case studies and views by experts, in light of current practices and challenges within SaaS-based laboratory management. We incorporate all these methods within the research to provide an integral view of the multidimensional ethical and legal landscaping, therefore delivering an approach with both depth and context to the analysis. It was mainly, regarding informed consent, and a very complex legal challenge emphasized in this study for compliance with GDPR, along with data confidentiality, respectively, for compliance with HIPAA. The study focused on the non-existence or lack of uniformity of regulatory frameworks that can provide for the special characteristics of SaaS data management and cross-border data flows.

The digital lab manager: Automating research support

Laboratory management automation is essential for achieving interoperability in the domain of experimental research and accelerating scientific discovery. The integration of resources and the sharing of knowledge across organisations enable scientific discoveries to be accelerated by increasing the productivity of laboratories, optimising funding efficiency, and addressing emerging global challenges. This paper presents a novel framework for digitalising and automating the administration of research laboratories through The World Avatar, an all-encompassing dynamic knowledge graph. This Digital Laboratory Framework serves as a flexible tool, enabling users to efficiently leverage data from diverse systems and formats without being confined to a specific software or protocol. Establishing dedicated ontologies and agents and combining them with technologies such as QR codes, RFID tags, and mobile apps, enabled us to develop modular applications that tackle some key challenges related to lab management. Here, we showcase an automated tracking and intervention system for explosive chemicals as well as an easy-to-use mobile application for asset management and information retrieval. Implementing these, we have achieved semantic linking of BIM and BMS data with laboratory inventory and chemical knowledge. Our approach can capture the crucial data points and reduce inventory processing time. All data provenance is recorded following the FAIR principles, ensuring its accessibility and interoperability.

Clinical significance of medical leadership and laboratory management: Challenges and perspectives

Clinical significance of medical leadership and laboratory management: Challenges and perspectives

Utilization management and appropriateness in clinical laboratory: state-of-the-art

Utilization management and appropriateness in clinical laboratory: state-of-the-art

Demand management in the autoimmunity laboratory

Demand management in the autoimmunity laboratory

Clinical laboratory management of a nesidioblastosis case

Clinical laboratory management of a nesidioblastosis case

Cover, Content, and Editorial Note from Borneo J Med Lab Tech Vol. 6 No. 2 April 2024

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb. Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin. After a long wait of almost 12 years from the first stand, the scientific journal of the Department of Analyst Health (Medical Laboratory Technology) Universitas Muhammadiyah Palangkaraya can be published. BJMLT is published every 6 months (2 issues/year) every October and April. This journal aims to publish high-quality articles dedicated to all aspects of the latest outstanding developments in the field but not limited to Blood transfusion, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Histopathology, Immunology, Microbiology, Parasitology, Toxicology, Food and Beverage Analysis, Molecular Biology, Medical Biology, and related fields that are of interest to medical laboratory technologies, such as epidemiology, health promotion, professional ethics, and laboratory management, It was first published online in October 2018 using Open Journal System (OJS) 3.1 platform with e-ISSN 2622-6111 by URL http://journal.umpr.ac.id/index.php/bjmlt. This edition contains 14 articles on Hematology, Microbiology, Clinical Chemistry, and Epidemiology. Editorial boards are fully aware that there is still room for improvement in this edition; hence with all humility, they are willing to accept constructive suggestions and feedback for improvements to the publication for the next editions. The publication of BJMLT certainly participates in disseminating the results of research and review of science and technology development conducted by lecturers and researchers from UM Palangkaraya and other universities. The editorial board would like to thank the University, all editors and reviewers, and contributors of the scientific articles who have provided the repertoire in this issue. We hope that all parties, especially the contributors of the articles, could re-participate the publication's success in the next edition in October 2024.

Clinical and Laboratory Profile, Management and Outcome of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Infection Admitted at the Philippine General Hospital.

The Philippines has recorded over 470,000 COVID-19 cases in children, with over 1,500 deaths during the same period. Although a Philippine online pediatric COVID-19 registry exists, this only relies on passive surveillance. This study determined the clinical and laboratory profile, risk factors for severe COVID-19, and mortality, management, and outcome of pediatric SARS-CoV-2 patients admitted at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) from April 2020 to June 2022 to fill in knowledge gaps on the epidemiology of COVID-19 infection in children. This was a retrospective cohort study of pediatric COVID-19 cases admitted at the PGH, a designated COVID referral center during the study period. Demographic and clinical profile, risk factors, comorbidities, laboratory and radiologic findings, management, and outcomes across different disease severity states were gathered by chart review and the data were analyzed using STATA 17. There were 448 pediatric patients admitted and diagnosed with COVID-19 during the study period. Most patients belonged to the 1-5-year age group (25.9%), had no known exposure to a COVID-19 case (65.4%), were mild cases (37.3%%), and did not receive any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (96.7%). The most common presenting symptoms across all disease categories were fever (44.4%), cough (28.6%), and shortness of breath (26.6%). Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) presented with fever (100%) and rash (53.9%). The risk factors for severe disease were the presence of a congenital anomaly lung disease, and elevated procalcitonin. Most patients with MIS-C were previously well with no comorbidities. Laboratory findings which were markedly elevated among severe and critical cases were ESR, CRP, D-dimer, LDH, and IL-6. Ferritin, procalcitonin (PCT) and IL-6 were elevated only in severe to critical COVID-19 cases and remained within normal for the other disease categories. As to treatment, asymptomatic, mild, and moderate cases were given supportive medications (zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin C), while investigational drugs particularly corticosteroids, IVIG, and remdesivir, were used in severe cases.Antibiotics were given to 71.7% of patients at the outset. As to the outcomes, 89% recovered, while 8.9% died. The case fatality rate from COVID-19 infection was at 2.2%. Admitted pediatric COVID-19 cases are generally mild but admission is due to underlying illness or comorbidities. Those with severe to critical cases have underlying comorbidities and had either progression or complications due to COVID disease. D-dimer, LDH, IL-6, ferritin and procalcitonin were elevated among severe and critical cases which can be utilized as inflammatory markers.

RECOVERY AND REUSE OF NICKEL(II) FROM NI-DIMETHYL GLYOXIME COMPLEX: A SUSTAINABLE LABORATORY PRACTICE

The current research study focusses on the recovery and reuse of Nickel chloride obtained from Ni-(DMG)2complex prepared during an undergraduate chemistry practical course. The complex was decomposed by using different acids followed by cooling at room temperature and refrigeration. Nickel (II) in the form of Nickel chloride, Nickel sulphate and Nickel nitrate was obtained after the acid digestion process. The recovered Ni(II) solution obtained was further reused for Ni (DMG)2 complex preparation The recovery and reuse technique are an attempt towards reducing the environmental footprint in an undergraduate chemistry laboratory and towards sustainable laboratory management.

Recruiting and cultivating future leaders in laboratory science.

Technological in-vitro fertilization (IVF) advancements originate in the embryology laboratory, and are accompanied by increased regulatory oversight and risk management. Stakes have never been higher or the need greater for the recruitment and cultivation of leaders in laboratory science to navigate the direction of IVF. Current thought leaders in state-of-the-art laboratories must prioritize this mission to optimize and preserve the future of IVF. Leaders in laboratory science must be able to speak to patients, the lay public, business leaders, scientific colleagues and clinical embryologists. While technically gifted, laboratory leaders may benefit from leadership training. Recruitment of scientists into IVF is currently challenging due to a lack of branding and no clear pipeline for new scientists to enter the field. Once recruited however, cultivation of new leaders requires coaching and skill acquisition over time, in order to create multifaceted laboratory leadership. Laboratory leaders are typically recruited based on education and experience to lead teams of embryologists. These leaders will adopt new technologies in the laboratory. Therefore, laboratory leaders play a powerful role in IVF requiring leadership skills ultimately driving patient outcomes. These laboratory directors must possess innate leadership abilities or learn how to lead their teams.

Unlocking the potential of the geography laboratory as a 21st-century skill-learning hub

Acquisition of 21st-century skills can be achieved through the use of supporting facilities and infrastructure. In the study of geography, the laboratory functions as a learning tool that significantly improves teaching and learning activities. This research identifies and describes the potential for geography-based laboratory learning for management priorities and future development design. For this reason, this research uses mixed methods and descriptive analysis. Held in the Geography Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, State University of Malang. The population in this study consisted of Geography Department students and laboratory managers, while the sample was selected purposively from the class of 2019, totalling 84 students. Primary data was collected through structured interviews with students and in-depth interviews with geography laboratory managers to determine the potential for laboratory development over the last 5 years. Furthermore, this research has secondary data, namely laboratory equipment inventory data. Data analysis was carried out through SWOT analysis. The analysis results show that the geography laboratory consisting of Soil Geography, Geology, Cartography, Geographic Information Systems, Population Geography laboratories has quite large development potential. Conditions in each laboratory require development strategies. The development strategy includes: 1) planning, 2) procurement, 3) inventory, 4) storage, 5) arrangement, 6) utilization, 7) maintenance, and 8) disposal.

Implementation of Laboratory Equipment Loan System in SiDal (BigData Laboratory System)

Borrowing and returning equipment for both practicum and research is one of the routine laboratory management activities. Laboratories with a high intensity of borrowing equipment but limited human resources should use an online information system to manage the flow of borrowing so that laboratory activities can run optimally. This research was made based on these problems encountered in laboratory management at the Basic Physics Laboratory (LFD) of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI). Previously, research was conducted on the development of a laboratory information system named SiDal (Laboratory BigData System). In SiDal, users can access tool data, tool catalog, tool status and tool storage. From the catalog of tools stored in SiDal as a data base, a system for borrowing and returning laboratory equipment was developed and then the application of this system was tested at LFD FPMIPA UPI. Through research and development methods, surveys were conducted through questionnaires and written interviews. From the results of the questionnaire distributed, 52 student respondents from various batches who had accessed SiDal showed that around 90% said that the loan system developed was more effective & practical, which was confirmed from the results of written interviews.

Utilizing the open-source programming language Python to create interactive Quality Assurance dashboards for diagnostic and screening performance in Cytology

Effective feedback on cytology performance relies on navigating complex laboratory information system data, which is prone to errors and lacks flexibility. As a comprehensive solution, we used the Python programming language to create a dashboard application for screening and diagnostic quality metrics. Data from the 5-year period (2018-2022) were accessed. Versatile open-source Python libraries (user developed program code packages) were used from the first step of LIS data cleaning through the creation of the application. To evaluate performance, we selected 3 gynecologic metrics: the ASC/LSIL ratio, the ASC-US/ASC-H ratio, and the proportion of cytologic abnormalities in comparison to the total number of cases (abnormal rate). We also evaluated the referral rate of cytologists/cytotechnologists (CTs) and the ratio of thyroid AUS interpretations by cytopathologists (CPs). These were formed into colored graphs that showcase individual results in established, color-coded laboratory "goal," "borderline," and "attention" zones based on published reference benchmarks. A representation of the results distribution for the entire laboratory was also developed. We successfully created a web-based test application that presents interactive dashboards with different interfaces for the CT, CP, and laboratory management (https://drkvcsstvn-dashboards.hf.space/app). The user can choose to view the desired quality metric, year, and the anonymized CT or CP, with an additional automatically generated written report of results. Python programming proved to be an effective toolkit to ensure high-level data processing in a modular and reproducible way to create a personalized, laboratory specific cytology dashboard.

Biomedical science students’ perception of the use of role-play in learning stress and anger management skills

Introduction: People skills play a crucial role in the professional development of Biomedical Scientists. A laboratory management and professional practice module was offered as part of the people skills development for Biomedical Science first-year students. This study aims to describe the use of role-play to teach stress and anger management skills to Biomedical Science students and reports on students' opinions of role-play as a teaching-learning method. Methods: Students were divided into groups with 10 or 11 students per group. Each group of students presented a role-play for 15 to 20 min. This was followed by reflections by the group, feedback from other groups, and the facilitators. At the end of the session, student feedback was taken by a questionnaire using both closed (using a 5‑point Likert scale) and open‑ended questions. Statistical evaluation of the collected data was carried out using SPSS version 28 for Windows. Results: A total of 96 students from the 2021 and 2022 cohorts participated in the role-plays. The survey was completed by 48 students from the 2021 intake and 33 students from the 2022 intake. The overall response rate was 84.37%. Respondents perceived role-play to be enjoyable, useful, and helpful for developing stress and anger management skills. They wanted role-play to be used as a teaching-learning method in the future. Conclusions: Role-play can be effective to teach stress and anger management skills to undergraduate Biomedical Science first-year students. Keywords: Role-Plays, Stress and Anger Management Skills, Biomedical Science, Professional, Questionnaire, Feedback; Undergraduate

A fusion architecture to deliver multipurpose mobile health services

Mobile Health (mHealth) services typically make use of customized software architectures, leading to development-dependent fragmentation. Nevertheless, irrespective of their specific purpose, most mHealth services share common functionalities, where standard pieces could be reused or adapted to expedite service deployment and even extend the follow-up of appearing conditions under the same service. To harness compatibility and reuse, this article presents a data fusion architecture proposing a common design framework for mHealth services. An exhaustive mapping of mHealth functionalities identified in the literature serves as starting point. The architecture is then conceptualized making use of the Joint Directors of Laboratories (JDL) data fusion model. The aim of the architecture is to exploit the multi-source data acquisition capabilities supported by smartphones and Internet of Things devices, and artificial intelligence-enabled feature fusion. A series of interconnected fusion layers ensure streamlined data management; each layer is composed of microservices which may be implemented or omitted depending on the specific goals of the healthcare service. Moreover, the architecture considers essential features related to authentication mechanisms, data sharing protocols, practitioner-patient communication, context-based notifications and tailored visualization interfaces. The effectiveness of the architecture is underscored by its instantiation for four real cases, encompassing risk assessment for youth with mental health issues, remote monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 patients, liquid intake control for kidney disease patients, and peritoneal dialysis treatment support. This breadth of applications exemplifies how the architecture can effectively serve as a guidance framework to accelerate the design of mHealth services.

Risk management in a clinical pathology laboratory: Application of brainstorming and probability analysis for risk reduction.

Risk management includes identifying various risks, assessing the probability of occurrence, and evaluating the severity of their consequences. As clinical laboratories are integrally involved in patient care, risks in the laboratories could present grave consequences in some instances. This study aimed to utilize simple techniques for risk management in a clinical laboratory. All potential risks in the pathology laboratory of a tertiary-level hospital were identified and classified into natural calamity, environmental, manpower-related, pre-analytical, analytical, post-analytical, and laboratory hazard-related risks through a brainstorming session. The probability of occurrence of each risk was estimated from departmental and hospital records. The possible impact of risk (score 1-10) was categorized into catastrophic, critical, serious, minor negligible, and insignificant. The unweighted risk score was calculated by multiplying the probability of occurrence and impact score. Inadequate sample-to-anticoagulant ratio had the highest probability of occurrence (22.85%), followed by quantity insufficient for analysis (7.30%) and laboratory information system (LIS) breakdown (6.58%). The highest unweighted risk score in our study was inadequate sample-to-anticoagulant ratio (score 91.40), followed by improperly labeled samples (score 35.61), manpower competency issues (score 32.88), sample insufficient for analysis (score 29.20), and LIS breakdown (score 26.30). We found that among all the categories, risks involving the pre-analytical phase had the highest risk scores. The other important risks included manpower competency issues requiring continued on-the-job training of staff as a risk reduction strategy. Brainstorming and probability analysis could be easily used for risk management in a clinical laboratory.

Laboratory Risk Analysis in a Branch Hospital: The L-type Matrix

Introduction: Laboratory workers are often exposed to various risk factors, which can be classified as biological, physical, chemical, psychosocial, and ergonomic. This study aims to conduct a risk analysis in the workers of microbiology and biochemistry laboratories of a branch hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye to identify occupational health and safety risks and provide recommendations for measures to be taken. Methods: The investigators conducted the risk analysis with a five-person team including occupational health and safety experts, a laboratory manager, and technicians. Risk assessments were performed using the L-type matrix 5x5 diagram. The level of risk was determined with the product of probability and severity. Results: Risk analysis in the microbiology laboratory showed ten risk factors. Three of them had moderate level scores as following "working with xylene", “continuous standing work” and "insufficient free space". The remaining risks have low-risk scores, including "working in a noisy environment, "microscope light and ambient light", "working with blood", "working with feces", "non-ergonomic chairs", "insufficient airflow in the environment" and "continuous presence in a closed space". In the biochemistry laboratory, four were classified as moderate risk, including working in constant standing, exposure to bodily fluids, blood tests for bacteria and viruses and non-ergonomic furniture. Conclusion: The priority should be to minimize the risks associated with contact with blood and body fluids. This could involve the implementation of strict safety measures and protocols, as well as providing appropriate personal protective equipment to all personnel who may encounter these fluids.