Communications

Communication

• The process of receiving and transmitting messages.

• Exchange of thoughts, messages, or information.
• Requires delivery and the assurance that the message is
correctly received and understood.
 Communication
Dynamic Communication
• Live discourse; simultaneous exchange with spontaneous
feedback
• Meetings, video conferences, etc.

Canned / Packaged Communication

• prevents instantaneous response/feedback
• Memos, posters, third-party messengers
 Communication

• Intradepartmental (within the laboratory)

• Interdepartmental (between the lab and admin, nurses

station, doctors, etc.)

• External (with the govt, insurance companies, accrediting

agencies, etc.)
 Means of Communication

• Written
• Verbal
• Visual
 Means of Communication

• Written
• Verbal
• Body Language
• Telephone
• Electronic
• Visual
 Written Messages

• Provides accuracy of information

• Provides a permanent record
• Feedback is limited
• The sender cannot be sure if the written message is
actually read
 Verbal (face-to-face) Messages

• Generally superior to written communication

• Allows feedback
• No permanent record to “revisit”
• Susceptible to effects of mumbling, mispronunciations,
distracting sounds, etc.
 Verbal (face-to-face) Messages
3 Elements of Spoken Messages:
• Verbal – actual words
• Vocal – tone and intensity of the speaker’s voice
• Visual – appearance of the speaker and facial expressions*

Visual and vocal elements are usually noticed

before the actual words.
Speakers must ensure that visual and vocal elements
are consistent with the words to ensure
the message is conveyed correctly.
 Body Language

• Also known as kinesics; posture, gestures, facial

expressions, eye contact, proximity
• Reveal attitudes and emotions
 Telephone Communications

• Only the verbal(words) and vocal (tone) elements remain

• Phone etiquette dictates that the caller must identify
himself/herself and verify the identity of the person on
the other end of the line.
 Electronic Communication

• Emails, SMS, and other electronic formats

• Emails and txt messages are “permanent” and therefore
can be retrieved and used in legal matters.
• Do not use emails for discussing complex topics.
• Never send personal messages using company emails or
company phones
• Do not use text shorthand
 Visual Communication

• Images, diagrams, cartoons, caricature, etc.

• Often easier to understand than written explanations.
• Excellent tool when presenting processes or explaining
procedures and complex ideas
 Barriers to Communication

• Structural Barriers
• Problems of Semantics
• Technical Problems
• People Barriers
 Barriers to Communication

Structural Barriers
• Spatial Constraints – barriers that isolate people from the
normal communication channels
 Barriers to Communication

Problems of Semantics
• when the words used have different connotations
between the parties.
• Some words can have different meanings to different
people and therefore can cause confusion.
 Barriers to Communication

Technical Problems
• Defects/malfunctions in the equipment, environment, or
the medium of communication.
 Barriers to Communication

People Barriers
• Perception Factors
• Interpersonal Factors
 Listening

• Making an effort to take notice (give attention) to what

someone is saying.

• Effective listening – ability to understand and display

interest
• Effective listening fosters trust, credibility, and willingness
to cooperate.
 Listening

Why is it so difficult to listen?

• Listening is hard work
• Competition for attention
• Tendency to interrupt
• Difference between listening speed and speech speed
• Lack of training on how to listen
 Listening

Stages of Listening:
• Receiving
• Processing
• Responding
 Listening

Types of Listeners:
• Non-Listener
• Marginal Listener
• Evaluative Listener
• Active Listener
 How can a Lab Manager foster excellent
communication in the workplace?
• Establish communication intranets
• Use a variety of methods (formal memos, informal chats,
meetings, impromptu announcements, letters, etc.) as
appropriate

• “Management by walking about” (MBWA)

• Informal talks with employees
• Routine and predictable
• Fosters open communication lines
Laboratory Information
System
 Laboratory Information System (LIS)

• Collection of interlinked and dependent parts [computer

components] organized to collect and input data, process
data into information, output information to users, and
provide feedback.

• Purpose: to meet the information needs of the

organization [laboratory]
 LIS Functions

• Access to patient information (admission, transfer, discharge)

• Test information (requisition, stage of completion, results)
• Work lists (test order entry, load list, overdue tests, etc.)
• Test result records (current and cumulative reports)
• Master test list
• Special processing requirements
• Financial functions (billing, accounts receivable)
 LIS Functions

• Productivity and workload monitoring

• Quality management functions
• Interface with other computer systems (HIS, reference lab,
etc.)
 Components of the LIS
2 Main Components:
• Hardware
• Processing [CPU] – ROM & RAM
• Input/Output – keyboard, mouse, instrument
interphase, monitor, printer, modem
• Storage – hard disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes

• Software
• Application software
• Operating system
Sample Configuration of a Computer-Based LIS
Chemistry Microbiology
Workstations Workstations
Instrument Interface Instrument Interface ICU
Bar Code Readers Bar Code Readers
Printers Printers
Workstations
Printers
Laboratory Support
Services
Workstations
Bar Code Readers Medical Unit
Printers Hospital
LIS Workstations
Information
CPU Printers
Hematology System
Workstations
Instrument Interface
Bar Code Readers
Printers
Surgical Unit
Workstations
Immunology Transfusion Service
Workstations Workstations Printers
Instrument Interface Instrument Interface
Bar Code Readers Bar Code Readers
Printers Printers
 Steps in Selecting an LIS

• Analyze information processing needs

• tasks, hardware, compatibility
• Review LIS information sources
• Request info from LIS vendors
• System features, requirements, prices
• Evaluate vendor responses
 Steps in Selecting an LIS

• Perform reference checks

• Conduct site visits
• Choose system and vendor
• Negotiate contract
 Benefits of a Computer-Based LIS

• Error reduction
• Quality control management
• Data searching
• Access to patient info
• Standardized reports
• Ability to track work
• Trend analysis
 Benefits of a Computer-Based LIS

• Maintaining patient confidentiality

• Financial management
• Integration with sites outside the laboratory
 Disadvantages of a Computer-Based LIS

• Personnel training (time-consuming and expensive)

• Time to adapt (inconvenient at the beginning)
• Cost (purchase, maintenance, turnover)
• Physical restrictions (space and electrical requirements)
• Need for backup system (potential loss of data)
Principles of Marketing
 The Market
• A place/venue where people gather for the purchasing or
sale of goods and services.
• Economic activity in which buyers and sellers come
together.

• The group of consumers that is interested in the product,

has the resources to purchase the product, and is
permitted by law to acquire the product.
• An opportunity for selling.
 Marketing

• Strategic process of attracting and maintaining customers

• Task: influence customer’s purchasing decisions

Public Relations
• Communication tool designed to influence the attitude of
the public towards the organization
• Task: create a positive public image
 The Market Environment

• The factors that determine the opportunities and

limitations of a potential customer base

• Variables or influences (external and internal) that affect

the company’s ability to build and maintain successful
relationships with customers.
• Internal Environment
• External Environment
 The Market Environment

Internal Environment
• Employees
• Policies
• Assets
• Products & Services

External Environment
• Micro environment
• Macro environment
 The Market Environment

Micro Environment
- Affects the company in a day-to-day basis
- Has direct interaction with the organization/industry
• Suppliers
• Customers
• Competitors
 The Market Environment

Macro Environment
- Affects the organization on a long term basis
- National or Global factors that affect many industries
• Demography
• Economy
• Political & Legal Factors
• Technology
• Social & Cultural Factors
 The Market Environment

• The manager must focus on manipulating/influencing the

aspects of the market that may be responsive to the
actions taken by the laboratory or its competitors
 The Customer

• A party that receives or consumes products and has the

ability to choose between products and suppliers

• The discretionary buyer who selects where a laboratory

test is performed
• The entity that sends the patient to the laboratory
 The Customer

Who are your customers?

• Patients
• Physicians
• Parents
• Employers
• Insurance Companies
• Government Agencies
 The Customer

• The manager must understand why patients come to a

particular laboratory and the factors that influence this
decision.
• Captive Market
• Discretionary Buyer

The organization (manager) must be able to influence the

purchasing decisions of customers.
 Customer Expectations

• The perceived-value customers seek from the purchase of

a good or service
• The dimension of value the customer seeks to be satisfied

• Customer requirements – characteristics of a good or

service as determined by a customer
• Customer needs – a problem that the customer wants
to solve by the purchase of a good or service
 Customer Expectations

Treacy and Wiersema’s Strategies (1995)

• Rule 1: provide the best offering by excelling in a specific dimension
of value
• Rule 2: maintain threshold standards on other dimensions of values
• Rule 3: dominate your market by improving value year after year
• Rule 4: build a well tuned operating model dedicated to delivering
unmatched value
 THE FOUR Ps OF MARKETING

• Kotler and Clarke (1987)

• The Marketing Mix
• Instruments for attracting and retaining customers

• Products
• Price
• Place
• Promotion
 The Product

• What the company offers to its customers

• Includes product quality, packaging, features or options,
warranty, etc.
• Companies must consider its product as a solution to a
customer need
 The Product

• Different laboratories may emphasize different products

• Some may specialize and only offer microbiology,
toxicology, blood banking, hematology, molecular
methods, etc.
• Some may emphasize routine testing and fast turn-
around-time
 The Product

Product differentiation – distinguishing a product, service,

or brand from the competition to make it attractive to a
target market/customer
 Price

• The amount of money the customer pays for the product

or service
• Price is part of what a customer may refer to as value
• A lab may offer discounts, credits, etc. to increase its share
of the customer base

• Customers may either be Cost-Driven or Value-Driven

 Place

• How and where the product is offered to the buying public

• One laboratory may choose to market only in the local
area while another may have regional, national, or even
global market interests.

• Even within the hospital bldg/complex, the accessibility of

the laboratory must be considered
 Place

3 Components of Accessibility
• Physical Access
• Time Access
• Information & Promotional Access

Strategies:
• Satellite stations/branches
• Web presence
 Place

• “Place” also includes how laboratory results are

transmitted
• LIS/HIS
• E-mail
• Downloadable through website
 Promotion

• Marketing communication used to persuade target

audiences of the merits of a product, service, or brand.

• Advertisement – print/tv/radio/internet Ads

• Sales Promotion – discounts, purchase incentives, etc.
• Personal Selling – personal contacts, sales
representatives
• Publicity – news releases, seminars, etc.
 The Marketing Plan

• A strategy for maintaining, identifying, and attracting

customers
• Laboratory marketing model (steps):
• Evaluation of the laboratory service area
• Determination of test demand
• Development of appropriate test mix
• Development of the market
• Systematic evaluation of all tests and services
 Market Research

• Technical and scientific approach to obtain data relevant

to a specific market
• Systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of
data and findings relevant to a specific marketing
situation (feasibility of setting up a billboard, tv ads,
customer needs and expectations, etc.)
 Market Research
• An organization may hire the services of a market
research firm (e.g. AC Nielsen)

• Useful information may also be available from

publications/journals produced by government agencies,
trade associations, or professional organizations.

• Internal records (financial statements, customer lists,

laboratory records) are also a good source of marketing
information