Make Every Sample Matter Archives - INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE

5 Challenges of Using Spreadsheets to Track Sample Movement

Sharon Williams — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 16:52:49 +0000

Each sample’s journey is a complex one. As a sample moves from initial collection to depletion it passes through the hands of numerous people. Even the simplest journey involves two people where a clinic nurse takes a sample and then a scientist processes it. But it’s usually not quite that simple. What’s more, tracking sample movement isn’t just about recording what’s coming into your lab but what you’re sending out to others to use, store or process. Successful research studies, testing activities and clinical trials require close collaboration between several internal and external teams. So, it’s highly likely that you’ll be moving your samples between different locations and people many times before you finally deplete them. Keeping track of sample movements can be challenging, especially if you’re using a spreadsheet. Why tracking sample movement matters Having full traceability of your samples is essential for any lab. Firstly, it helps you understand each sample’s provenance in order to assess its suitability for your work. Secondly, you know what’s happened to it including who has accessed and worked with it. This helps you assess its viability. Finally, and most importantly, you need to make sure that you – and your collaborators – […]

The post 5 Challenges of Using Spreadsheets to Track Sample Movement appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

5 Reasons Why Data Quality Matters in the Lab

Sharon Williams — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 15:11:21 +0000

Many laboratories invest in and use state of the art equipment to process and analyse samples. These highly sophisticated pieces of kit can efficiently handle large volumes of samples. They can complete very intricate – as well as repetitive – processes, saving you valuable time. Plus, their accuracy can help improve quality in your lab operations. What’s more, they can carry out tasks that you just couldn’t do manually. Although they’re expensive you can easily see their worth. But, ultimately, the most important thing they deliver is information. So, why would you risk impacting the quality of that information by manually re-entering it into a spreadsheet or legacy database? When assessing lab data quality it’s not just about its accuracy but also its integrity, completeness, auditability, formatting, consistency and standardisation. Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) or off-the-shelf Sample Management software can help you manage and improve the quality of your data. But investing in these systems is often given a lower priority than other lab equipment. Here’s 5 reasons why data quality matters in the lab and why you may want to consider a system to support your data management activities. 1. Making sure you use those valuable samples You […]

The post 5 Reasons Why Data Quality Matters in the Lab appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Manage Clinical Trials in a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)

Sharon Williams — Mon, 18 May 2020 08:00:13 +0000

In the current COVID-19 pandemic more people than ever are aware of the critical role clinical trials play in finding treatments and cures to disease. Tens of thousands of generous volunteers have signed up to take part in the various global COVID-19 trials. While the rest of us wait patiently for their outcome and thank those taking part and running them. Hoping that soon we’ll be one step closer to finding potential treatments. Many organisations running clinical trials use spreadsheets to manage their data. Others may use software provided or created by clinical research organisations (CROs). But wouldn’t it be easier if you could use a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to manage your clinical trials? Then you’d be able to see and access all your sample data from one system. Achiever Medical is a LIMS that enables you to do just this – allowing you to manage all your biobanking, clinical trials and discovery activities in a single system. While still ensuring that your teams only have access to the data they need. Managing your studies When it comes to setting up clinical trials it’s all about clarity, consistency, ethics, accuracy and flexibility. You need flexibility as each clinical […]

The post Manage Clinical Trials in a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Reinvigorating your Lab or Biobank during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Sharon Williams — Wed, 13 May 2020 08:00:58 +0000

If you’re one of the many labs or Biobanks whose operations have been temporarily halted or repurposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, then you may be wondering how you’re going to get going again. ‘Normality’, whatever that means, will soon kick back in. And those notorious, life-threatening diseases that you’ve long been helping to research will still, unfortunately, be with us. They haven’t taken a break. After what seems like an everlasting pause the world is slowly starting to open up again. And when it does your Biobank needs to be ready to provide researchers with the samples they need – safely and promptly. So, how can you make sure your lab or Biobank is poised and ready to mobilise when called? Have you reviewed and implemented COVID-19 safety measures? First things first you want to make sure your team is as safe as possible. The UK government is regularly updating its advice as more is understood about the disease. The latest UK government guidelines and advice on helping your team stay safe can be found at ‘Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)’. Take stock If it’s quiet in your lab or Biobank at the moment, why not use […]

The post Reinvigorating your Lab or Biobank during the COVID-19 Lockdown appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

The Importance of Sample Request Approval and Fulfilment Processes in Biobanks

Sharon Williams — Mon, 11 May 2020 08:00:41 +0000

As a Biobank having high quality samples is essential for your reputation and success. You’ve probably defined protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that you follow when storing and processing samples. Likewise, you may use spreadsheets or dedicated systems to make sure your sample data is as complete and accurate as possible. But that’s just the beginning. You also need to make sure your samples are used. So, you need to publicise the samples that you want to make available to researchers. And once researchers have chosen the samples they need and you’ve approved them, you then have to release and send them – promptly and securely. So, how geared up is your Biobank to manage and fulfil any incoming sample requests? Knowing how many tissue sample requests you’re receiving Do you know how many requests you receive each week? In order to answer this question you need to have a mechanism for recording all your incoming requests. It can be time consuming if you’re receiving requests via email that you then type into a spreadsheet. Emails could arrive in any format – taking time and effort just to decipher what’s required. Spreadsheets can help to capture basic data. But […]

The post The Importance of Sample Request Approval and Fulfilment Processes in Biobanks appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Sample Management in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

Sharon Williams — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 08:00:02 +0000

For many labs and Biobanks, the main reason for implementing a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is to improve the way they manage their samples. If you’re using your samples in research, you need to have confidence in the accuracy of your data. Similarly, you want to have confidence in the repeatability of any tests so you can create reproducible results. How you manage your samples and record any corresponding data has a significant impact on these. Sample management is more than knowing where your samples are stored … Sample management is an integral part of your lab and Biobank’s quality control and management processes. Put simply it’s the processes you follow when you’re working with samples, for example, your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It covers all aspects of the sample journey from initial sample registration through to disposal. The aim is to make sure everyone is working to the same standards. And by instilling consistency and standardisation across your lab processes you could significantly improve efficiency and quality. If you can accurately trace each step of a sample’s journey, what happened when and why, then you can better assess its viability for use in research. This can help you […]

The post Sample Management in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

The Role of Achiever Medical LIMS in Supporting Disease-Specific Biobanks

Sharon Williams — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 08:00:35 +0000

The fundamental role of Biobanks is to provide quality biological samples to help further research. Ultimately helping shape new vaccines and cures for diseases. Your Biobank might include historical samples as well as current ones. As a disease-specific Biobank the profile data you hold about your participants is as important as the information about your samples. Being able to hold disease-specific information against each participant in your Biobank helps you build up a greater understanding of your samples. This can have a significant impact on research outcomes. Plus, being able to add to the data as you discover more about the person and the disease means you’re continuing to develop even more valuable insight. Achiever Medical’s core LIMS functionality enables you to manage your disease-specific collections. As well as record detailed profile information about your participants, their diseases and their samples. All this helps researchers find the samples they need. What’s more it helps you make sure you use every sample in a way that achieves optimum results. Making Every Sample Matter. Defining disease projects and collections Being a disease-specific Biobank doesn’t mean you only hold biological samples relating to one disease. You may hold several disease-specific sample collections in […]

The post The Role of Achiever Medical LIMS in Supporting Disease-Specific Biobanks appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Using a LIMS to Remove Data Silos in Your Lab and Biobank

Sharon Williams — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 08:00:06 +0000

A modern laboratory information management system (LIMS) helps you remove data silos in your Biobank and lab. Consolidating your data into one centralised system. As a result, you can reduce administrative overheads, improve quality, increase efficiency and protect sensitive information. When it comes to working with a spreadsheet a common problem is making sure everyone is adding information to it in the same way. Another is sticking to just the one spreadsheet. Invariably what you end up with is everyone maintaining their own spreadsheets, each with their own rules, terminology and classifications. As a result, you have the same samples registered in several spreadsheets. And if you’re using an in-house built system, unless you’re constantly maintaining and updating it to meet new or changing requirements it can quickly become obsolete. Sometimes forcing you to revert back to using spreadsheets again. So now you’re holding data all over the place making it difficult to find anything and impossible to control. A LIMS solves this by standardising and centralising your data into a single system. Centralising your Biobank and lab data into a LIMS to remove data silos One of the key roles of a LIMS is to help centralise your Biobank […]

The post Using a LIMS to Remove Data Silos in Your Lab and Biobank appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Tracking Sample Genealogy in LIMS | Tissue Sample Tracking

Sharon Williams — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 08:00:44 +0000

In a clinical research lab or Biobank, it’s vital you know exactly what biological samples you’re working with and where they came from. Understanding a tissue sample’s provenance helps you assess how you can best use it. And, critically, if it’s safe to use. If this information includes patient consent, then you also know how you can actually use it. If all you know about your samples are their sample types, containers and volumes then that doesn’t really tell you very much. Achiever Medical’s core LIMS functionality helps you track and analyse each sample’s genealogy. Giving you the full picture about every one of your samples, so you can make the most of this very valuable resource and ‘Make Every Sample Matter’. Tracking the complete genealogy of sample aliquots and derivatives in LIMS Tracking sample aliquots and derivatives can be difficult when you’re using spreadsheets or in-house built systems. Sometimes aliquots are assigned the same reference as the original samples – making it tricky to work out which sample is which. Using Achiever Medical LIMS’ ‘out-of-the-box’ functionality you can split biological samples to create aliquots or derivatives. Each newly created sample is automatically linked to its original sample. In addition, […]

The post Tracking Sample Genealogy in LIMS | Tissue Sample Tracking appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Collaborative Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

Sharon Williams — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 08:00:58 +0000

In this unprecedented and somewhat unsettling time, we’re seeing collaboration on a global scale like never before. On a human level, strangers are coming together to help each other through the health crisis. In business, instead of competing separately to find a cure companies are working together to target COVID-19. To quote Max De Pree, ‘We can accomplish more together than we can alone.’ Even under ‘normal’ circumstances, when it comes to clinical and scientific research, many studies and clinical trials involve collaboration between funders, labs, clinics, charities, industry and so on. And without collaboration with industry and researchers Biobanks and biorepositories would soon become obsolete. Collaborative Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), like Achiever Medical, provide a range of tools to help you securely work together and, importantly, share information. Managing multi-team projects, studies and clinical trials Achiever Medical’s unique project and study functionality enables you to segment and manage your samples as collections. Within each project you can link any associated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and documentation. You can also allocate a project team. As you add each project team member you assign them a role. This role determines what data each person can see, enter and update. You’re […]

The post Collaborative Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.