-------------------------------------------------------- ELEVENTH ANNUAL LABORATORY INFORMATION SYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM -------------------------------------------------------- Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA - June 9-11, 1993 The eleventh annual Laboratory Information System Symposium will be held June 9-11, 1993, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, under the sponsorship of the Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School. This three-day conference focuses on automated information management in hospital-based clinical laboratories. On the first morning of the meeting, five workshops provide in-depth information about such diverse topics as a strategic approach to information management, integrating PCs into an LIS, and LIS policy and procedure development. The remainder of the meeting consists of plenary sessions, vendor displays, and software demonstration by laboratory personnel. Thirty-four LIS software and hardware vendors and consultants will be represented in the display area. Approximately 200 registrants from the United States and Canada are expected. There is no other yearly meeting of its type in the United States, with an exclusive focus on LISs. Direct inquiries to: Office of Continuing Education, The University of Michigan Medical School, P.O. Box 1157, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-1157, Tel. 313-936-9800 or 1-800-962-3555. Email inquiries can also be directed to the Course Director, Bruce A. Friedman, M.D. (friedman@horus.pds.med.umich.edu). Received: 14 March 1993 GOALS AND ORGANIZATION OF THE SYMPOSIUM This three-day symposium has been planned to provide a broad overview of current issues relating to Laboratory Information Systems (LISs). The symposium is divided into five separate, but related, components: - Five workshops at the beginning of the symposium for in-depth analysis of specialized topics, including a new offering this year on LIS policy and procedure development. - Lectures by invited speakers during the plenary sessions, with particular emphasis on problem-solving rather than descriptions of individual systems. - LIS vendor and consultant introductions and topical discussions as part of the plenary sessions. - LIS vendor and consultant displays, allowing hands-on inspection and detailed comparisons of most LISs available in the commercial market today. - Microcomputer demonstrations by clinical laboratory and healthcare professionals who have written or adapted software for use in the clinical laboratory and hospital settings. ---------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR PERSONAL COMPUTER DEMONSTRATIONS Again this year, clinical laboratory professionals are being asked to participate in this symposium by demonstrating practical personal computer applications which they have developed or adapted for use in their own hospital or reference laboratory. Applicants must not be engaged in marketing the demonstrated software nor functioning as professional computer consultants. To apply, submit a brief letter no later than May 10, 1993, detailing the application to be demonstrated, including hardware and software specifications, to Bruce A. Friedman, M.D., M5228 Medical Science I, 1301 Catherine Rd., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-0602. A travel and expense grant of $500 will be awarded to each successful applicant. All symposium and workshop registration fees will also be waived for successful applicants. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, June 9, Morning (Workshops) General Workshop Information All workshops will last three hours and begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 12:00 noon. Continental breakfast, mid-morning refreshments, and lunch are included in the workshop registration fee. Refer to the symposium registration form to register for a workshop. The registration fee for each workshop is $_______. Workshops Wednesday, 9 June, 9:00-12:00 noon I. Fundamentals of Computing and the Laboratory Information Systems The task of selecting and deploying a laboratory information system is often delegated to laboratory professionals with limited experience with the complex devices called computers. It is for such laboratory personnel that this introductory workshop is designed. The faculty members for this presentation are professional LIS consultants with a demonstrated ability to present basic concepts and build on this knowledge. It is anticipated that this workshop will prepare the registrants to interact more knowledgeably with vendor representatives and also better integrate information provided by speakers during the plenary sessions. The workshop will start at a very basic level, defining both the fundamental hardware and software components of an LIS. Discussion will then proceed to more complex software and hardware topics such as network communication protocols, RISC architecture, and optical disk storage. The various functions of an LIS will then be presented in the context of the mission of the clinical laboratories. These system and functionality concepts will be drawn upon to present a basic strategy for selecting an LIS which meets the needs of both the hospital personnel who manage it and also the end-users of the information system. Finally, suggestions will be made about how to approach vendors at the meeting as well as what type of questions to ask them about their products. Faculty: Gary F. Braley and Dennis Winsten Target Audience: Clinical laboratory personnel with limited experience in laboratory computing. Enrollment Limit: 45 registrants II. Managing a Laboratory Information System: A Strategic and Operational Approach This highly interactive workshop begins with a discussion of the strategic issues facing hospital-based clinical laboratories with particular emphasis on the value of automated information management. Issues addressed in this first part of the workshop include a discussion of which LIS applications are the most strategic, relations between the LIS unit and the hospital chief information officer (CIO), the LIS mission from the perspective of hospital physicians and administrators, and the laboratory/LIS vendor interface. Emphasis will be placed on the "politics" and organizational aspects of laboratory information management. Discussion will then shift to the recurring operational issues which arise in relation to the management of a hospital-based LIS. Topics to be covered in this second part of the workshop include the staffing and reporting structure of a LIS unit, effective project management such as the testing and installation of new versions of software, liaison with personnel in the various clinical laboratories, training, documentation, and inspection/ accreditation issues. Registrants from hospitals of varying bed sizes will be encouraged to discuss with the group some their own operational problems and how they have been addressed. Faculty: Bruce A. Friedman, MD and Kathy M. Davis, MT (ASCP) Target Audience: Laboratory personnel involved in the management of LISs Enrollment Limit: 100 registrants III. Integrating Personal Computers with a Laboratory Information System The goal of this workshop is to discuss how users of an LIS can utilize personal computers (PCs) to enhance the functionality of their turnkey LIS. The presentation will be divided into three parts. The first part will be an exploration of PC-based point-of-care testing interfaces to an LIS. Point-of-care testing will be one of the most important growth areas in the clinical laboratories in the short term as clinicians become accustomed to a test turnaround time measured in minutes. Automated information systems will be critical in ensuring rapid movement of information. The second part of the workshop will provide details about using PCs for sample and specimen management in physically remote sites such as clinics in separate buildings or in different cities. In addition to batch-ordering tests into the LIS, these software tools pre-label specimen containers at the remote site and automatically create collection lists for couriers. The third and final segment of the workshop will consist of an open discussion of new information technologies such as palmtop and pen-based PCs, wireless LANs, SQL-accessible database engines, and LAN integration strategies for heterogeneous systems. Faculty: James A. Dignan, Thomas D. Morrow, MSA and Tom Peterson, MD (ASCP) Target Audience: Laboratory technical and management personnel with some familiarity with microcomputer hardware and software. Enrollment Limit: 45 registrants IV. LIS Policy and Procedure Development This workshop will focus on strategies for the development of policies and procedures necessary to implement and effectively manage an LIS. Written policies and procedures are a prerequisite for laboratory accreditation, and this requirement remains constant whether an LIS is being installed for the first time or an existing LIS is being upgraded. The workshop will begin with a rapid overview of which written policies and procedures are necessary for accreditation purposes. A detailed analysis of the standards of various inspection and accreditation agencies such as JCAHA, CAP, AABB, and FDA will follow. Special attention will be paid to specific topic areas such as system "down" scenarios, disaster plans, change control procedures, confidentiality and security policies, and problem resolution responsiblities. Other areas to be covered will include the process of policy and procedure writing and implementation. Specific examples of hospital LIS policies will be distributed to registrants as part of the workshop. Faculty: Jean H. Hengesbaugh, MS Target Audience: Laboratory technical and management personnel with the responsibility of developing LIS policies and procedures. Enrollment Limit: 45 registrants V. Selected Legal Issues Relating to LIS Purchase and Continuing Support This workshop, presented by an attorney with broad experience in computer hardware and software issues who has represented both buyers and vendors of computer systems, focuses first on legal issue associated with an LIS purchase. In this context, she will discuss system performance specifications, acceptance testing criteria, warranties, software licenses, source code escrow agreements, system integration, computer malpractice, and contract negotiating strategies. Secondly, and to a slightly lesser extent, she will raise legal issues relating to system installation and daily operations after system acceptance, including technical support and protection of intellectual property developed by system users. The primary goal of the workshop is not to transform registrants into attorneys. Rather, it is to highlight the fundamental issues which must be addressed in order to achieve the maximum functionality from a system and also foster a cordial and lasting relationship with the LIS vendor. Faculty: Susan M. Kornfield, JD Target Audience: System managers and laboratory managers with responsibility for system selection and system operations. Enrollment Limit: 45 registrants VI. Vendor Workshop Requests have been received in the past to allow laboratory personnel with only limited time and a special focus on the selection of an LIS to spend an entire day circulating through the vendor display area in the Power Center. Accordingly, a "vendor workshop" has is being offered this year for the first time and on an experimental basis to accommodate to these requests. The workshop will be repeated in subsequent years if it proves to be a useful experience for both registrants and vendor representatives. Registrants for this workshop will circulate through the vendor display area during the entire first day of the symposium, June 9, and will not attend structured workshops or any of the plenary sessions. Lunch will be served to registrants at mid-day in the Power Center. Faculty: None Target Audience: Laboratory personnel with limited time who are actively seeking a new LIS. Enrollment Limit: None ................................................................ Wednesday, June 9, Afternoon The LIS:Clinician Relationship 12:30 Registration 1:00 Conference Welcome and Announcements R. Van Harrison, PhD 1:10 Goals and Organization of the Symposium Bruce A. Friedman, MD 1:15 Information Management in the Clinical Laboratory in the Year 2000 Bruce A. Friedman, MD 2:00 Using Computers to Optimize the Work of Hospital Clinicians Vernon K. Sondak, MD 2:45 Question and Answer panel 3:00 Refreshments and Vendor Displays 3:30 Vendor Introductions 3:30 Microcomputer Demonstrations (Concurrent Session) 5:00- Beverages and Light Buffet 6:00- LIS Consultant Lectures: Eliminating the Risk from LIS Purchase and Implementation Dennis Winsten Dennis Winsten & Associates Expectations versus Reality: Why Many LISs Do Not Live Up to Their Potential Gary F. Braley Braley Consulting Services, Inc. 7:30 Adjournment Thursday Morning, June 10 Deployment of New Information Technology 8:00 Continental Breakfast 8:30 Images as Component of the Pathology Database David S. Weinberg, MD., PhD 9:15 Providing Wireless Access to Laboratory Information in a Hospital Setting Tom Peterson, MT (ASCP) 9:50 Question and Answer Panel 10:00 Refreshments and Vendor Displays 10:30 Vendor Introductions (cont.) 10:30 Microcomputer Demonstrations (cont.) 12:00 Luncheon Thursday Afternoon, June 10 LIS Vendor Issues 1:00 The LIS Regulatory Environment: A Vendor Perspective Douglas McNair, MD., PhD 1:45 Question and Answer Panel 1:55 Executive Officer Roundup (A Round-table Discussion about Trends and Strategies in Laboratory and Healthcare Computing) Neal L. Patterson, Chief Executive Officer, Cerner Corporation Bud Doucet - Vice President, Healthcare Data General Debra Stenner, General Manager, Ancillary Solutions Division, IDX Systems Corporation Gilbert Hakim, Chief Executive Officer and President SCC (Soft Computer Consultants, Inc.) Sidney A. Goldblatt, Chief Executive Officer, Sunquest Inf. Systems 3:30 Refreshments and Vendor Displays 4:00 Pathology Data Systems and Clinical Laboratories Tour (Optional Activity) 5:00 Vendor-Sponsored Reception 6:30 Adjournment Friday Morning, June 11 Managing the Pathology Database 8:00 Continental Breakfast 8:30 The Pathologist Workstation: A Technical and Operational Viewpoint Edward Shultz, MD, MS 9:15 The Computerized Medical Record: What Is It and How Do We Get There? Stephen M. Gendler, PhD 10:00 Question and Answer Panel 10:10 Refreshments and Vendor Displays 10:40 Medical Record Confidentiality and the Law Edward B. Goldman, JD 11:20 Deploying Client-Server Technology in the Clinical Laboratory Environment Dan J. Hill, MS, MT (ASCP) 11:50 Question and Answer Panel 12:00 Luncheon Friday Afternoon, June 11 1:00 Small Group Hands-On Demonstration Sessions by Vendors and Consultants 3:00 Adjournment Course Director Bruce A. Friedman, MD, Director, Pathology Data Systems, Professor of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FACULTY Kathy M. Davis, MT (ASCP) Computer Systems Consultant III, Pathology Data Systems, Department of Pathology James A. Dignan, Computer Systems Specialist, Pathology Data Systems Department of Pathology Bruce A. Friedman, MD, Director of Pathology Data Systems Professor, Department of Pathology Stephen M. Gendler, PhD, Manager, Pathology Data Systems Department of Pathology Edward B. Goldman, JD, Medical Center Attorney, University of Michigan Medical Center Daniel J. Hill, MS, MT (ASCP) Programmer Analyst II, Pathology Data Systems, Department of Pathology Thomas D. Morrow, MSA, Assistant Administrator, Department of Pathology Tom Peterson, MT (ASCP) Computer Systems Consultant II, Pathology Data Systems, Department of Pathology Vernon K. Sondak, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery Guest Faculty Gary F. Braley, Braley Consulting Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota Jean Hengesbaugh, MS, Management Consultant, Superior Consultant Company Farmington Hills, Michigan Susan M. Kornfield, JD, Partner, Bodman, Longley & Dahling, Ann Arbor, Michigan Douglas McNair, MD., PhD, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs Cerner Corporation, Kansas City, Missouri Edward Shultz, MD., MS, Associate Professor of Pathology, Director, Program in Medical Information Science Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire David S. Weinberg, MD., PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Medical Director, Hematology Laboratory Brigham and Womens' Hospital Dennis Winsten, Dennis Winsten & Associates, Tucson, Arizona