AUTOMATION

There are several individual steps in the analysis process as a whole in a laboratory such as:

1. Identifying the patient
2. Getting the correct sample
3. Identifying and proper labeling of the sample
4. Delivery of sample in proper storage condition and within time
5. Preparation of sample for test
6. Sample loading/aspirating
7. Analysis
8. Reporting 
9. Entering in register

Automation has a lot of benefits for the laboratory personnel:

1. Reduces the workload 
2. Increases turnaround time (Saves time used per analysis) 
3. Increases total number of tests done in less time 
4. Eliminates repetition and monotony from human life so decreases human error, improves accuracy
5. Improves reproducibility (repeatability)
6. Uses minimum amount of sample and reagent

Usefulness of automation in advanced and well equipped clinical laboratory can be also extended to:

1. Transport of specimen
2. Processing of specimen 
3. Loading of specimen into auto analyzer 
4. Assessment of results of performed tasks

     Analysis in lab can be automated right from the step of patient identification upto report delivery. However, due to the hidden cost and demand of trained personnels at each stage most of the labs restrict their automation only at the laboratory analysis level. This is mainly done by auto analyzer. Modern auto analyzers run mostly on the principle of discrete analysis where each analysis takes place in different cuvets, avoiding carry over effect. Random access analyzers are the most versatile type where multiple tests can be run at any time. Integrated system in auto analyzers improve efficiency but increases maintenance tasks and cost per test. :)

MARKETING

4 P’s of Marketing

1. Product - the first of the Four Ps of marketing. A product can be either a tangible good or an intangible service that fulfills a need or want of consumers. Whether you sell custom pallets and wood products or provide luxury accommodations, it’s imperative that you have a clear grasp of exactly what your product is and what makes it unique before you can successfully market it.
2. Price – Once a concrete understanding of the product offering is established we can start making some pricing decisions. Price determinations will impact profit margins, supply, demand and marketing strategy. Similar (in concept) products and brands may need to be positioned differently based on varying price points, while price elasticity considerations may influence our next two Ps.
3. Promotion –  looks at the many ways marketing agencies disseminate relevant product information to consumers and differentiate a particular product or service. Promotion includes elements like: advertising, public relations, social media marketing, email marketing, search engine marketing, video marketing and more.
4. Place – Often you will hear marketers saying that marketing is about putting the right product, at the right price, at the right place, at the right time. It’s critical then, to evaluate what the ideal locations are to convert potential clients into actual clients. Today, even in situations where the actual transaction doesn’t happen on the web, the initial place potential clients are engaged and converted is online.

As the four Ps all need to be considered in relation to each other, it doesn't really matter in what order you define them. This is why you may find them quoted in a different order from the one used above. In particular, they're often referred to in the order "place, price, product, promotion.

FIRE PREVENTION

The goal of fire prevention is to educate the public to take precautions to prevent potentially harmful fires, and be educated about surviving them. It is a proactive method of reducing emergencies and the damage caused by them.

1. Class A Fires -  includes fires of ordinary combustible materials present in the laboratory such as wood, plastics, paper and textiles.
2. Class B Fires -  includes fires of flammable liquids and gases.
3. Class C Fires - includes fires in energized electrical equipment, which require for their extinguishment the use of nonconductive media.
4. Class D Fires -  includes fires of combustible and reactive metals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and lithium. These fires pose special problems of control and extinguishment, since spreading and explosion can easily occur.

Fires prevention in your workplace consists of four steps:

1. Implement a program that includes preparation, prevention, and recognition of fire hazards.
2. Make sure you practice proper handling of combustible and flammable material.
3. Maintain safe housekeeping practices that reduce the risk of fire danger.
4. Always keep adequate fire suppression equipment in your work area to extinguish fire before it goes out of control.

     Prevention, detection and extinguishment of fires are the basic aims of a fire protection program. An effective fire safety program must involve both laboratory management and workers. Management is responsible for the development of the program and for the training of personnel. Laboratory workers are responsible for following the safety standards required by the program in the daily operation of the laboratory. :)

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Today, clinical laboratories are facing growing challenges in the reduction of bad-debt, claim-error, staff and budgets along with the need for compliance updates, rigorous accounting discipline and more. Labs have a crucial need to optimize their business processes, therefore an efficient and effective billing operation is required.

One effective way to come up with successful financial management is to establish BUDGET MANAGEMENT OR FINANCIAL PLANNING. By stimulate the plans, helping others to coordinate the use of lab resources, encourage realism so that plans are achievable within available resources, help improve the quality of plans, as staff are helped to focus on and discuss service priorities, and improve clarity of vision and staff motivation.

MOTIVATION

MOTIVATION

Motivation is everything. It's like you are saying to someone that they should keep their feet on the track and to push themselves beyond the limits. In the laboratory, Registered Medical Technologists needs motivation to get going.

Based on our discussion, motivation can be cited as the reason to someone behaves in a certain manner. It can be defined concisely as the reason people do the things they do. It is clearly that motivation is needed or is a requirement because of the daily work Medical Technologists encounters every day. Motivation also can boost up your mind and can get the work done in a certain time. Motivation is also important because without it, it can make a big impact regarding the work being done inside the laboratory.

AS A FUTURE REGISTERED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

FUTURE REGISTERED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

As a future registered Medical Technologist, we are given a task or an assignment to complete and achieve a certain goal inside the laboratory. Everything I learned in the laboratory management will be used when I become a future registered Medical Technologist and will surely fit my skills when doing work inside the laboratory. All of the techniques, lessons, procedures that I learned will be put to practice. Not only to apply the lessons but to make sure that every move we make is significant and a crucial move for us to be challenged all the time and to practice more things during work at the laboratory.

GOOD MANAGER

WHAT MAKES A GOOD MANAGER? 

1. A good manager supports open communication - find a way to encourage your team members to ask clarification questions.
2. A good manager defines their own management style - the qualities of what makes a good manager may be the same but the style you will use to manifest these qualities depends on your personality. 
3. A good manager creates a connection with their employees -  an important part of what makes a good manager is their ability to connect with others; building a rapport and trust.
4. A good manager displays integrity -  building a connection and trust is so important.
5. A manager's role is like putting together a puzzle - The pieces of the puzzle are the people, tasks, goals and data.  Assembling them means creating strategies, distributing tasks, supervising their execution and providing feedback.
6. A good manager gets to know their employees -  they use smarter goals and delegate authority. 

Other traits: 

• Appearance 
• Personality style 
• Articulates 
• Energy, drive and ambition 
• Positive attitude 
• Thoughtfulness 
• Overall composure 
• Aura of leadership 
• Bright, informed, and with sense of humor 
• With variety of interests

COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION
     - a technique for expressing ideas effectively (as in speech). An act or instance of transmitting.

Importance of communication in the laboratory is a requirement because without communication, a single step can ruin the objective of the people inside the laboratory. It is important not only because it is a requirement but it also helps to achieve the main objective and fasten every step. 

Information Management – the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences.

Communication – process of transferring information from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood by both sender and receiver. It requires that all parties understood a common language that is exchanged.

 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

• Sender – Originates and sends the message. 
• Message – Words and/or nonverbal expressions that transmit meaning. 
• Receiver – Ultimate destination of the sender’s message.

WAYS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION PROCESS 

• Good listener - you should allow the other person to speak freely.
• Empathy - you should understand and share the feelings of another.
• Sending a message through several different routes - you should be updated, so the message will be delivered well and fast.
• Repetition - you should repeat something that has already been said or written.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

     
To achieve effective management, there are 5 “golden” rules of effective management:

1.  Be consistent - you must reward the same behaviors every time they appear and treat every member of your team with an equal, level-headed view.
2. Focus on clarity, accuracy and thoroughness in communication - clarity, accuracy and thoroughness are the best way to avoid miscommunication and keep your team on the same page.
3. Set the goal of working as a team - If you want your team members to work together, have them work for something together and give staffers a unified focus and purpose, to inspire them work hard or to "team up".
4. Publicly reward and recognize hard work - don't play favoritism, work fair.
5. Be the example - Strive to be your own ideal of the perfect worker, especially in front of the team.

According to the discussion, there are two criteria to achieve effective management: 

1. Good communication skills - A good communicator is a highly motivated individual who always gives importance to his goals and achieves them in the most efficient manner. He always understands his role and knows how to convert his efforts integrated with skills into results.

2. Requires an optimal mix of people-oriented and task oriented leaders who make:

• Good decisions 
• Skilled communicators and negotiators 
• Sensitive to the needs of others 
• Care about the outcome 

PLANNING for the FUTURE

PLANNING

     In life planning is important, it is a process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve a desired goal. It involves the creation and maintenance of a plan, such as psychological aspects that require conceptual skills. There are even a couple of tests to measure someone’s capability of planning well. As such, planning is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior.

     Like in the laboratory, planning is a thinking and analyzing portion of the management process. “the manager must plan to succeed or plan on failing”

PLANNING PROCESS 

1. Identify Goals: An end that the organization strives to attain and guide and identify where or what the organization wishes to be.

2. Evaluating Current Situation: Organization must know where it stands and must identify where they are and how they got there 

3. Establishing Time Frame: There should be an acceptable period of time for each plan to achieve its goals. 

4. Setting Objectives: Short-term standards that are allowing the manager to achieve its goals step-by step. o Specific bench mark to know whether standards are met.