Fun Facts

 Use of C.O.W. in Healthcare Industry

Information technology is growing at an amazing rate and the uses of the different applications of it are growing in other industries (Galarita, 2023). I am currently in the healthcare field working at a Tuberculosis testing laboratory for Quest Diagnostics. In our lab, from the beginning of the process to the end of the process, we use computers every step of the way. Without computers, most of our work would take much more than the regular 8 hours for work. In the first stage of processing our patient samples, information from the many clinical offices and hospitals that comes with the samples is added into our database system called Harvest. This allows us the ability to transfer the results back to the physicians who ordered the tests in an instant rather than having to call over the phone or send information through ground mail. Computers are just as important in the next stage of the process as we rely on machines to process the samples during this time. We have a program called Method Manager that gives the commands for the machine to run the tasks for the samples to be processed. Prior to computers and machines, this was a 4-6 hour process, but afterwards, the use of computers made this a 1.5-2 hour process. The last step of the process is more of a balance between manual labor and computer usage. The computers are used to generate images to be read and resulted by a person. With our lab relying on computers from beginning to end, it is imperative that our personnel are literate in computer usage. There are many mistakes that can be made if the person is not literate and is unable to perform the tasks at a proficient level. For example, at the beginning of the process, if the name is added to the wrong patient sample, this could cause the wrong result to be sent to the wrong patient. A person cannot do the job properly if they do not understand how to effectively use a computer. 

Over the next 10 years, computers will continue to advance the growth of the healthcare industry, especially in the laboratory that I work in. Eventually, the advancement of computers may make it able to process samples from beginning to end with little to no human intervention. Also, if we are processing 1000 samples right now, with the advancement in technology over the years, we may be able to process 3 times as many samples. 

C.O.W. stands for Computer on Wheels.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What office application is best for daily documenting?

I usually do not create a “diary entry” of my daily life routines and events. This assignment has made me understand how dedicated a person has to be to document their lives on a daily basis. I have used  word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and  database applications previously and I consider myself proficient in the use of them. I imagine that a person does not use all of these applications, but it was interesting to use all of these for one day’s entry. I am sure that usually people will use word processor to perform these types of tasks as it is more designed for this type of documentation. With word processor, a person could make lists or tables to document their daily tasks. However, with word processor, a person is not able to perform any calculations or gather any data based on the information they have typed in. Another use for w ord processing is collaborative writing and document sharing. The use of spreadsheet is, to me, for a bit more advanced documentation rather th
Read more

Operating System Theory and OS Concept Map

Image
My exploration of operating systems theory has unveiled a profound understanding of the fundamental concepts that underpin these critical pieces of software. Operating systems (OSs) are the cornerstone of modern computing, providing the foundation for software applications and user interactions. Understanding the underlying theory behind OSs is crucial for computer science professionals and users alike. Processes are the fundamental units of execution in an OS. They represent running programs and manage their resources (CPU time, memory, etc.). Process management is the cornerstone of multitasking, enabling the operating system to handle multiple programs concurrently. This involves managing the creation, scheduling, and termination of processes, ensuring their smooth execution. The concept of memory management is crucial for efficient utilization of system memory. OSs are responsible for efficiently allocating and managing memory among multiple processes. This includes virtual mem
Read more

Network Security Connection

Network security is when a computer’s network and data, in both hardware and software, are protected from people trying to access them who should not be accessing them (Vahid & Ly secky , 2019) . Network security has different programs that are use d to prevent any unauthorized access. These programs  are called firewalls, encryptions, and antivirus so ftwares , just to name a few. They are used to protect from cyber-attacks, such as viruses, malware, and hackers. There is ne arly 1 c yberattack every 39 seconds, (over 2200 attacks each day) which means that companies and even regular people are always at risk (Fox, 2023). In the past, cyber-attacks were not so common, but since we are now in an era where there is a vast amount of information that is shared and stored electron ically, network security has advanced to h andle the challenges that come with protecting computers. Many personal computers and business computers have sensitive data that people will try to gain to u
Read more