December 6 2010 (Monday) - Queues Revisited

A while ago I rigged the lab computer so that samples with a one hour turnaround would be instantly accessible via a queue, and so that samples with a four hour turnaround would be instantly accessible via a different queue. I think that I can claim this idea as having been a success as the chemistry people have copied my idea.

Queue Summary     Queues requiring attention :-  Queue   Queue name                 No. of specimens  Date      Time  User -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Urgent  - General Queues  B1HOUR  One hour samples (Biochem)       7       04/12/2010  11:03   0  B4HOUR  Four hour samples (Biochem)      2       04/12/2010  11:03   0  HCONS   Haematology consultant queue     22      04/12/2010  10:49   0  URGENT  One-hour samples  (Haem WHH)     7       04/12/2010  10:57   0  WARDS   Four hour samples (Haem WHH)     10      04/12/2010  10:51   0 Routine - General Queues  BROUT   Biochemistry Routine General     17      04/12/2010  10:54   0  GF      GF tests to be done              5       03/12/2010  16:58   0  VITP    B12s awaiting authorisation      19      03/12/2010  22:12   0  ZHB1    Hb-opathies awaiting analysis    6       03/12/2010  18:15   0  ZHB2    Hb-opathies sent to Dartford     54      02/12/2010  18:31   0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

This scheme had a minor hiccup in that should a consultant referral be necessary, then these samples would remain on the queue, even though there was no need for them to be there by this stage.

Today I added a minor tweak to the computer so that the presence of the flag we use to when consultant intervention is required would move such samples to a separate queue.

Rule Table Definition     Rule Code : CONS           Description   : Haematology consultant queue  [2 ] [---------------------------------------------------------------------]  If   ~F1    CO  REF    OR  ~F2    CO  REF    OR  ~F3    CO  REF    OR         ~F4    CO  REF    OR  ~F5    CO  REF    OR  ~F6    CO  REF OR ~F7   CO  REF   OR  ~F8    CO  REF    OR  ~F9    CO  REF    OR  ~F10   CO  REF                                                               Then QUEUE Else QUIT                                                                         } Dialogue -----------------------------------------------------------{ If XE FLAG1 does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG2 does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG3     does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG4 does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG5 does CONTAIN REF    OR XE FLAG6 does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG7 does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG8       does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG9 does CONTAIN REF OR XE FLAG10 does CONTAIN REF Th [----------------------------------------------------------------------]

Time will tell if it is advantageous…