The Need for E-Learning Standards for Online Laboratory Management Systems

E-Learning education, Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs) have been ex-panding in the last decade. However, it increased in giant strides during the COVID-19 pandemic when the schools and universities did not have another option than to use remote education. Having a general understanding of E-Learning technology is not enough to implement an engineering virtual classrooms and laboratories. E-Learning standards are needed in all areas of E-Learning Systems such as online educational web applications, Learning Management Systems, and online labs, among others to gain interoperability, scalability, sustainability, security, privacy, and safety. The main objective of this paper is to discuss in general the current standards and technologies applied to E-Learning systems and analyze the need for a specific standards for Online Laboratory Management Systems (OLMS). © 2022 IEEE.

DISINFECTION WITH VAPORIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE FLUID IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AND ITS APPLICATIONS AND ADVANTAGES IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT

During a global pandemic, mitigating the impact of the disease and coordinating efforts to manage not only the medical but also the logistical and administrative aspects of such an all-encompassing phenomenon are of paramount importance. An extremely important but less publicised issue in this context is laboratory management and safety in analytical laboratories. In times of high capacity utilisation, as is the case during a pandemic or endemic outbreak of disease, other routine processes have to be abbreviated or are cancelled altogether due to lack of planning owing to the rapid emergence of the outbreak. In order to achieve high level of cleanliness in laboratories of all shapes and sizes and with different requirements, a universal solution seems unimaginable. Our experiments show a promising, automated approach of disinfection of various spaces. Within a short timeframe of 1 h – 3 h it is possible to disinfect any desired room to achieve a laboratory grade hygiene status. This was proven by employing biological indicators validated for this procedure. The tested technology reduced the indicator germs by a concentration of the mathematical log 6 reduction. Achieving this high level of cleanliness is possible by assigning a single person to the task for the set-up at the scene. Steering and monitoring of the process can be done remotely. While the machine used in our experiments is not a completely new concept, our experiments in a real-life setting such as laboratories and clinics alike, show that the applied hydrogen peroxide vapour distributed by a specialized fogger, disinfects even hard to reach spots within closed-off spaces. This program can be performed while automated (PCR) machines are running and highly trained personnel can apply their expertise elsewhere. Moreover, while the program is running real-time data is available and the process can be remotely monitored and steered digitally. It is of major concern to ensure maintainability of infrastructure e.g. COVID labs, ambulances, laboratories or veterinary practitioners to ensure treatment of directly and indirectly related health issues within a crisis. We concentrated on evaluating the usability of the disinfection technology presented in real-life settings. © 2022 IDIMT. All rights reserved.

The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Stress Test for Laboratory Safety Teams

Laboratory safety teams (LSTs), led by graduate student and postdoctoral researchers, have been propagating across the U.S. as a bottom-up approach to improving safety culture in academic research laboratories. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, LSTs relied heavily on in-person projects and events. Additionally, committed Champions from the ranks of safety professionals and faculty were critical to their operation and continued expansion. As was the case for many existing systems, the COVID-19 global crisis served as an operational stress test for LSTs, pushing them to unexpected new limits. The initial spread of COVID-19 brought with it a shutdown of academic institutions followed by a limited reopening that prohibited in-person gatherings and disrupted standard lines of communication upon which LSTs relied. Safety professionals and faculty members were required to take on new duties that were often undefined and time-consuming, substantially impacting their ability to support LSTs. In this case study, we report the impact of this operational stress test on 12 LSTs, detailing the adaptive means by which they survived and highlighting the key lessons learned by the represented LST leaders. The key takeaways were to spend time nurturing relationships with a diverse array of Champions, securing stable funding from multiple sources, and networking with members of LSTs from different institutions to strengthen moral support and broaden ideation for common challenges.

Planning education for best practices in point-of-care testing

The increasing availability and use of POCT are influenced by many factors, including the industry trend toward patient-centered care and decentralization of health care;the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, which includes the current use of rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing;the increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension;and advances in in-vitro medical diagnostics. The use of POCT can increase the efficiency of services and improve patient outcomes. However, the variability of the testing environment and conditions, as well as the competency of the staff performing the tests, can have a significant impact on the quality and accuracy of POCT results. Most personnel performing POCT are not trained laboratory staff and may not be as familiar with the processes associated with testing, such as patient preparation, specimen collection, management of equipment and supplies, calibration and maintenance of equipment, the performance of the test, quality control, interpretation of results, and reporting/documentation of results related to the particular patient. Therefore, personnel performing POCT must have the appropriate training and experience to ensure that test results are accurate and reliable. This review outlines the specific personnel training requirements based on international standards that must be considered to ensure the quality of test results and describe the competency criteria required for POCT compliance. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Turkish Journal of Biochemistry / Turk Biyokimya Dergisi is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Application of Cloud Desktop Technology in Computer Laboratory Management

The development of computer network technology to promote the development of all walks of life, and the rapid development of cloud computing industry is to let a lot of industry see the advantages of the development of network technology, even in COVID - 19 outbreak of the moment, still did not stop the development of cloud computing industry, whether it is a traditional industry, or for the computer industry, Cloud management, cloud services and cloud technology are the main directions of future development. With the rapid development of Internet and information technology, cloud desktop technology based on cloud service technology is becoming more and more mature, and provides strong support for modern mobile office. For the information teaching of colleges and universities, the computer laboratory as the main means at any time should pay attention to the improvement of the degree of information teaching, and the emergence and application of cloud desktop technology can effectively solve the drawbacks of traditional computer laboratory management. This paper focuses on the application of cloud desktop technology in the scientific management of university computer laboratories. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Student Perceptions of Remote Chemistry Laboratory Delivery Models

The COVID-19 pandemic of Spring 2020 saw chemistry instructors across the globe working to deliver traditional hands-on laboratory learning within a remote learning environment. This study focused on the student perspective on remote laboratory delivery models across 13 Fall 2020 chemistry courses with students from all four years of undergraduate study and varying declared majors. For those students who were able to experience in-person laboratory experiments, the majority indicated that they were of high value to their overall learning experience. Specifically, the students noted that the value of the in-person experiential laboratory learning was tied to their ability to learn and practice their technical skills while putting the theory learned in class into practical context and application. Remote laboratory alternatives in the form of video-recorded experiments and online simulations were seen to be less valuable to the overall student learning experience. While students indicated that they highly valued in-person laboratory experiences and would like to see them continually implemented within their learning experiences, careful design and implementation of remote alternatives may provide meaningful alternatives when in-person laboratory instruction is not possible or perhaps enhance already existing laboratory curricula.

Laboratory management for large-scale population screening for SARS-CoV-2.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the improvements in laboratory testing procedures and the quality and safety management for large-scale population screening for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: Because of epidemic prevention and control needs in Hebei Province, on January 7, 2021, the Health Commission of Zhejiang Province sent a medical team to Hebei Province, to carry out SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing. Screening for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test was performed using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Practical tests and repeated process optimization were adopted to explore the optimal solution for improving laboratory testing procedures and the quality of and safety management for large-scale population screening for SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: The Zhejiang medical team completed 250,000 pooled SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid samples in 24 days in Shijiazhuang, with a peak daily testing capacity of 40,246 samples testing. There were no false-negative or false-positive results, and no laboratory personnel was infected with SARS-CoV-2. Significant achievements have been made in SARS-CoV-2 prevention and control. CONCLUSIONS: This report summarizes the effort of the medical team regarding their management of the quality and safety of laboratory tests and proposes corresponding empirical recommendations to provide a reference for future large-scale population screening SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 Pandemic Spurs Evolution of an Academic Pathology Department and Laboratory.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused much suffering through disease and death, disruption of daily life, and economic havoc. Global health infrastructure has been challenged, in some cases failing. In the United States, the inability of laboratories to provide adequate testing for the causative pathogen, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has been the subject of negative press and national debate. Even so, these challenges have prompted pathology practices and clinical labs to change their organizations and operations for the better. The natural positive evolution of the University of Oklahoma Department of Pathology and OU Health Laboratories has been greatly accelerated by the global pandemic. While developing a substantial COVID testing response, our department of pathology and laboratories have evolved a much nimbler organizational structure, established an important research partnership, built a translational research resource, created a significant reference lab capability, and completed many key hires against a national background of hiring freezes and pay cuts. Also, the high visibility of the clinical lab and pathologists during the outbreak has reinforced the value of lab medicine to patient care across our health system. In the midst of significant ongoing changes to the structure and financing of our underlying organizations, high trust among departmental, hospital, health system, and medical school leadership during the pandemic has promoted these positive changes, allowing us to emerge much stronger from this crisis.

Evaluation of Inappropriate COVID-19 RT-PCR Test Utilization at an Academic Medical Center.

BACKGROUND: An evolving COVID-19 testing landscape and issues with test supply allocation, especially in the current pandemic, has made it challenging for ordering providers. We audited orders of the Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2 PCR with reverse transcription (RT-PCR) platform-the fastest of several other testing modalities available-to illuminate these challenges utilizing a multidisciplinary laboratory professional team consisting of a pathology resident and microbiology laboratory director. METHODS: Retrospective review of the first 5 hundred Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test orders from a 2-week period to determine test appropriateness based on the following indications: emergency surgery, emergent obstetric procedures, initial behavioral health admission, and later including discharge to skilled care facilities and pediatric admissions. Our hypothesis was that a significant proportion of orders for this testing platform were inappropriate. RESULTS: On review, a significant proportion of orders were incorrect, with 69.8% (n = 349, P < 0.0001) not meeting indications for rapid testing. Of all orders, 249 designated as emergency surgery were inappropriate, with 49.0% of those orders never proceeding with any surgical intervention; most of these were trauma related (64.6% were orders associated with a trauma unit). CONCLUSIONS: Significant, pervasive inappropriate ordering practices were identified at this center. A laboratory professional team can be key to identifying problems in testing and play a significant role in combating inappropriate test utilization.

The use of whole blood capillary samples to measure 15 analytes for a home-collect biochemistry service during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A proposed model from North West London Pathology.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the delivery of secondary care services. Self-collection of capillary blood at home can facilitate the monitoring of patients with chronic disease to support virtual clinics while mitigating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the comparability of whole blood capillary and plasma venous samples for 15 routinely used biochemical analytes and to develop and pilot a user-friendly home-collection kit to support virtual outpatient clinical services. METHODS: To investigate the comparability of whole blood capillary and plasma venous samples for 15 routinely requested biochemical analytes, simultaneous samples of venous and capillary blood were collected in EDTA and lithium-heparin plasma separation tubes that were of 4-6 mL and 400-600 µL draw volume, respectively. Venous samples were analysed within 4 h of collection while capillary samples were kept at ambient temperature for three days until centrifugation and analysis. Analyte results that were comparable between the matrices were then piloted in a feasibility study in three outpatient clinical services. RESULTS: HbA1c, lipid profile and liver function tests were considered comparable and piloted in the patient feasibility study. The home-collect kit demonstrated good patient usability. CONCLUSION: Home collection of capillary blood could be a clinically-useful tool to deliver virtual care to patients with chronic disease.

How SARS-CoV-2 Transformed the Clinical Laboratory: Challenges and Lessons Learned.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made a devastating impact on global health and continues to challenge healthcare infrastructure and delivery. The clinical laboratories were no exception as they are responsible for diagnostic testing that dictates many clinical, infection control, and public health decisions. Information technology and laboratory management tools are critical assets for maintaining and adapting operations in response to crises. When utilized effectively, they promote the integration between the clinical laboratory specialties (e.g., chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and molecular pathology). During the COVID-19 pandemic, our systems and processes were strained due to high testing volumes, demand for rapid turnaround times, supply chain constraints, and constantly evolving testing algorithms and result interpretations as our knowledge of the virus and of diagnostics increased over time. In this report, we describe those challenges and subsequent adaptations made by each clinical laboratory section. We hope these details help to provide potential solutions and approaches for other hospitals facing COVID-19 surges or other future pandemics.

Clinical Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 Testing Pressure on Clinical Laboratories: A Multinational Study Analyzing Google Trends and Over 100 Million Diagnostic Tests.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence has shown that Google searches for clinical symptom keywords correlates with the number of new weekly patients with COVID-19. This multinational study assessed whether demand for SARS-CoV-2 tests could also be predicted by Google searches for key COVID-19 symptoms. METHODS: The weekly number of SARS-CoV-2 tests performed in Italy and the United States was retrieved from official sources. A concomitant electronic search was performed in Google Trends, using terms for key COVID-19 symptoms. RESULTS: The model that provided the highest coefficient of determination for the United States (R2 = 82.8%) included a combination of searching for cough (with a time lag of 2 weeks), fever (with a time lag of 2 weeks), and headache (with a time lag of 3 weeks; the time lag refers to the amount of time between when a search was conducted and when a test was administered). In Italy, headache provided the model with the highest adjusted R2 (86.8%), with time lags of both 1 and 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: Weekly monitoring of Google Trends scores for nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms is a reliable approach for anticipating SARS-CoV-2 testing demands ~2 weeks in the future.

An Australian diagnostic microbiology surge response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diagnostic microbiology services form a critical component of the response to infectious disease outbreaks. Like previous respiratory virus pandemics, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant strains on the standing capacity of laboratories around the world. In this case study, we describe the surge response required by our laboratory to meet the fluctuating demand for SARS-CoV-2 in our regional pathology service in Western Sydney, Australia between March and May 2020. While the overall number of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive cases was relatively low compared to other Australian local health districts, testing numbers were highly unpredictable and changed on a weekly basis as local outbreaks were detected. As with other laboratories, numerous other challenges were also faced during this period, including the requirement to introduce a new and unaccredited diagnostic PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2, local and global shortages of reagents for sampling and sample processing, and a significant institutional SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in our laboratory catchment area. A successful service delivery during this period could only be maintained by a dynamic whole-of-laboratory and organizational response including (1) operational changes to the hours of service and the expansion of diagnostic testing at our laboratory site and other sites within our organization (2) careful management of specialist staff and re-training and recruitment of additional staff (3) changes to laboratory workflows to improve SARS-CoV-2 PCR test turnaround time and to accommodate limits to precious laboratory reagents; (4) clear communication within our laboratory and the NSW Health Pathology organization; and (5) collaborative co-ordination and support by NSW Health Pathology.

Laboratory Management and Quality Control Practice of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleic Acid Detection.

OBJECTIVE: A positive result of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection provides critical laboratory evidence for clinical confirmed diagnosis, pandemic status evaluation, a pandemic prevention plan, treatment of infected people with symptoms, and protection of uninfected people. This study aims to provide a practical reference for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid-related research and detection. METHODS: Our laboratory has established policies combining personnel management and quality control practices for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection during the pandemic. RESULTS: In this article, we describe cross-department personnel management and key points of personal protection and quality control in the testing process. We also report on the differences in detection and the compatibility between different brand kits. CONCLUSION: It is critical to maintain a standard and accurate laboratory operation for nucleic acid testing.

Staff rostering, split team arrangement, social distancing (physical distancing) and use of personal protective equipment to minimize risk of workplace transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic: A simulation study.

BACKGROUND: The recent global survey promoted by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Taskforce on COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) described staff rostering and organization as significant operational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: A discrete event simulation was used to explore the impact of different permutations of staff roster, including the number of shifts per day, the number of staff on duty per shift, overall number of staff accessible to work in the laboratory (i.e. overall staff pool), the frequency of shift changes (i.e. number of consecutive days worked), fixed work-rest days and split team arrangement on workplace transmission of COVID-19 by a simulated index staff who acquired the infection from the community over 21 days. Additionally, the impact of workplace social distancing (physical distancing) and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) were investigated. RESULTS: A higher rate of transmission was associated with smaller overall staff pool (expressed as multiples of the number of staff per shift), higher number of shifts per day, higher number of staff per shift, and longer consecutive days worked. Having fixed work-rest arrangement did not significantly reduce the transmission rate unless the workplace outbreak was prolonged. Social distancing and PPE use significantly reduced the transmission rate. CONCLUSION: Laboratories should consider organizing the staff into smaller teams/shift and reduce the number of consecutive days worked. Additionally, our observation aligns with the IFCC biosafety recommendation of monitoring staff health (to detect early infection), split team arrangement, workplace social distancing and use of PPE.

Operational considerations and challenges of biochemistry laboratories during the COVID-19 outbreak: an IFCC global survey.

Objectives: The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Task Force on COVID-19 conducted a global survey to understand how biochemistry laboratories manage the operational challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and methods: An electronic survey was distributed globally to record the operational considerations to mitigate biosafety risks in the laboratory. Additionally, the laboratories were asked to indicate the operational challenges they faced. Results: A total of 1210 valid submissions were included in this analysis. Most of the survey participants worked in hospital laboratories. Around 15% of laboratories restricted certain tests on patients with clinically suspected or confirmed COVID-19 over biosafety concerns. Just over 10% of the laboratories had to restrict their test menu or services due to resource constraints. Approximately a third of laboratories performed temperature monitoring, while two thirds of laboratories increased the frequency of disinfection. Just less than 50% of the laboratories split their teams. The greatest reported challenge faced by laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic is securing sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), analytical equipment, including those used at the point of care, as well as reagents, consumables and other laboratory materials. This was followed by having inadequate staff, managing their morale, anxiety and deployment. Conclusions: The restriction of tests and services may have undesirable clinical consequences as clinicians are deprived of important information to deliver appropriate care to their patients. Staff rostering and biosafety concerns require longer-term solutions as they are crucial for the continued operation of the laboratory during what may well be a prolonged pandemic.

Practical laboratory considerations amidst the COVID-19 outbreak: early experience from Singapore.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a zoonotic viral infection originating from Wuhan, China in December 2019. The World Health Organization has classified this pandemic as a global health emergency due to its virulent nature of transmission, which may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Singapore's health ministry has responded with enhanced surveillance of COVID-19 for all suspected pneumonia cases, further increasing the volume of testing via real-time reverse transcription PCR, as well as samples necessitating stringent infectious control. Collectively, this has implications on the total testing process, laboratory operations and its personnel due to biosafety concerns. Turnaround time for routine testing may also be affected. The aim of this article is to present our tertiary institution's early experience with managing this emerging crisis and offer practical considerations for the preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical phases of laboratory testing in this cohort of patients.