May 26, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
First-mover medical laboratory marketers are engaging customers on web sites such as MySpace.com and YouTube.com
Social networking is a radically new concept that innovative clinical laboratories, pathology practices, and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) manufacturers are beginning to use as a new marketing channel to their customers and prospects. The first wave of pathology and clinical laboratories are establishing a presence on such popular social networking web sites as Facebook.com, MySpace.com, YouTube.com, and Twitter.com.
Clinical laboratory marketing experts are using social networking sites like these to push products and services and to interact with customers. These sites allow pathologists, clinical labs, in vitro diagnostics manufacturers, and other companies to promote themselves and to tout the performance of their services and products by connecting lab directors and pathologists to physician clients and consumers in ways that were not possible years ago.
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May 17, 2010 | Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Here in Glasgow, Scotland, clinical laboratory directors share successes with TLA and Lean
Use of total laboratory automation (TLA) in clinical pathology laboratories now often involves use of process improvement and Lean techniques. That’s one insight that emerged from a special extended session on medical laboratory automation and process improvement at the Association for Clinical Biochemistry’s annual Focus meeting in Glasgow, Scotland last week.
As a trend, it shows how process improvement and Lean are becoming important management tools for pathologists and clinical laboratory managers. In vitro diagnostics (IVD) manufacturers have recognized this development and often provide expertise or consulting assistance on process improvement methods to help medical laboratory managers. The goal is to use process workflow redesign and Lean Six Sigma methods to design the most efficient way to handle specimens, then support this work flow with the best laboratory automation solutions.
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Apr 16, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily
Third-generation total laboratory automation (TLA) solutions now used by Japanese clinical labs
Your Dark Daily editor is writing this e-briefing from the 7th Cherry Blossom Symposium in Japan, where it is already Saturday—one day ahead of you readers in North America! The second day of this International Conference of Clinical Laboratory Automation and Robotics is now unfolding.
Yesterday’s opening sessions were chock-full of innovation, insights, and new developments in clinical laboratory automation and robotics. Representing 12 nations, a sizeable crowd of 260 pathologists, clinical biochemists, laboratory scientists, and in vitro diagnostics (IVD) vendors is in attendance.
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Apr 6, 2010 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Cherry Blossom Symposium attracts pathologists from across the globe
Many of the world’s most innovative pathologists and experts in clinical laboratory automation are about to gather in Yokohama, Japan, for the 7th International of Conference of Clinical Laboratory Automation and Robotics —also known as the Cherry Blossom Symposium. The conference will take place on April 16-17, 2010.
In the United States, few clinical laboratory professionals and pathologists are aware that the Cherry Blossom Symposium takes place every other year in Japan. Yet, since its inception in 1998, it has been a “must-attend” event for North American laboratory automation innovators. Such well-known clinical laboratory automation experts as Charles Hawker, Ph.D., of ARUP Laboratories; Rodney Markin, M.D., Ph.D., of University of Nebraska Medical Center; and Robin Felder, Ph.D., of University of Virginia, make a point to participate at every Cherry Blossom Symposium.
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Apr 2, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Latest example of a larger company spinning off its laboratory consulting businesses
For the second time in recent years, a large organization has spun off its clinical laboratory consulting business. As of April 1, 2010, Chi Solutions, Inc., of Ann Arbor, Michigan, once again became an independent company.
Carilion Clinic of Roanoke, Virginia, sold Chi Solutions to Kathleen Murphy, Ph.D., and Earl Buck. It was April, 2005 when Carilion Clinic originally acquired the Laboratory Solutions Group of Park City Solutions and named it Chi Solutions. Murphy and Buck have been the principal consultants at Chi Solutions.
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