Insufficient labelling can have devastating consequences. Richard Massey, director A Tauranga laboratory has become the first pathology service in New Zealand to install a state-of-the-art tracking system to help prevent mix-ups and misdiagnosis.
The Cerebro Specimen Tracking System tracks a unique barcode on each surgical specimen to prevent errors associatedwith transcription and handwritten labels. It is electronically monitored as it progresses through its processing stages. Rather than staff manually check its identification, each sample is monitored electronically as it passes through the lab.
The director of Pathology Associates, Richard Massey, said New Zealand laboratories operated to a high standard and mistakes were rare but the nature of processing specimens was vulnerable to human error.
"A momentary lapse in concentration can lead to samples being misidentified. And incorrect or insufficient labelling can have devastating consequences for patients," Dr Massey said.
Manufactured by Leica Biosystems, Cerebro is an FDA-registered Class 1 medical device which allows laboratory staff to clearly see every action and event associated with each surgical pathology specimen.
