Anatomic Pathology Consultation Tracking System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current intradepartmental consultation process in Anatomic Pathology departments is inefficient due to its sequential nature, lack of status tracking for physical case materials, inability to re-route consultations, and limited electronic access, making it difficult to manage and document consultations effectively, especially in ensuring compliance with departmental policies and quality initiatives.
Innovation Solution
A computerized system and method for managing intradepartmental anatomic pathology consultations, which includes initiating, tracking, and documenting share events, allowing for the coordination of physical and electronic case materials, determining share recipients, and receiving comments, while providing a repository for physical case materials and enabling electronic access for concurrent review.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sequential manual handoff process is used for intradepartmental consultations, then physical case materials can be delivered to consultants in turn, but the process lacks status tracking and cannot easily re-route consultations
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an information system as an intermediary between the manual handoff process and the consultants. This intermediary tracks the status of physical case materials and consultation progress, providing visibility without changing the fundamental sequential manual delivery process. The information system mediates by recording and displaying who has the materials and what the current status is, eliminating the information loss while maintaining the simple manual handoff mechanism.
2Loss of information
If physical case materials are tracked during the consultation process, then the location and status can be monitored, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy or record of the physical case material's location and status in an information system. Instead of physically tracking every movement, the system maintains an electronic copy of the material's state (who has it, where it is) that can be viewed by authorized users. This copying approach provides full tracking capability while adding minimal physical complexity, as the tracking infrastructure is virtual rather than physical.
3Device complexity
If electronic access to consultation information is limited to post-completion entry, then the system remains simple, but real-time access and concurrent review are not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by allowing electronic entry and access of consultation information during the ongoing consultation process, not just after completion. The information system is prepared in advance to receive and store real-time data from consultants as they review cases, enabling immediate access for all authorized users. This preliminary setup eliminates the time delay of post-completion entry while maintaining system simplicity through straightforward real-time data capture mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the consultation process is made dynamic and collaborative, then more input can be sought from colleagues, but the time-sensitive nature of pathology results makes management difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that provide real-time status information to all participants in the collaborative consultation process. The information system continuously updates and communicates the current state of the consultation (who has reviewed, what decisions have been made, time remaining) to all authorized users. This feedback enables the dynamic collaborative process to progress efficiently by keeping everyone informed of real-time developments, preventing time delays while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An on-line approach to coordinating intradepartmental anatomic pathology consultations, including coordinating access to physical case materials and/or electronic case materials, is provided. In accordance with one method in a clinical computing environment, a command to initiate a share event for an anatomic pathology case is received. One or more share recipients are determined manually and/or automatically for the share event. In addition, whether any physical case materials and/or electronic case materials are associated with the anatomic pathology case is determined. If any physical case materials and/or electronic case materials are associated with the anatomic pathology case, share recipient access to the materials is coordinated. After each share recipient reviews the case, the share recipient may enter comments.