Abstract
A small economical computer system linked on-line to an SMA 12/60 and serving the needs of the biochemistry department is described. The system features mark-sense requisition cards for the input of patient indentification information and test requests, and pre-printed laboratory report forms designed to receive information such as: patient name, number and location; visual observations on the state of the specimen; SMA 12 results with automatic flags for borderline, abnormal and off-limit values; and flags for non-SMA tests requested (numerical values are later filled in by hand). The system also has an automatic alarm for detecting errors in sample sequencing and identification, and generates work lists, report forms bearing only patient identification, and non-SMA test-requests, statistical summaries of patient and control serum values, and a log of SMA 12 results for the day. The system has proved to be highly efficient and functions with virtually no down time and no major increase in operating costs to the department.