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Use the Match on Sample Date interface option to guard against the accidental importing or matching of old results to patients. With this option enabled, results are automatically rejected if the sample date (imported with the INR) does not match the current clinic date. This prevents old results being matched to patients in situations such as:

• re-importing an old file
• importing a file which contains some old results. (This may happen where an import has not been run for one or more days and the INRs have been keyed manually.)
• matching old unmatched results that should have been deleted

When this feature was introduced in 2002, we urged all sites to implement it as a significant safety enhancement.  However, some sites continue to rely on manual methods for preventing such potential problems. While manual procedures may prove adequate when followed routinely by experienced staff, you must consider whether they are robust enough to provide protection when the service is being temporarily run by less experienced staff covering absence or at times of exceptional throughput or disruption. If have not already implemented this feature, we strongly recommend that you do so now.  Please note, version 7 will require a sample date to be sent with an INR.

 To implement the Match on Sample Date feature, you must:

• export the sample date from your lab system or analyser. Some lab systems and analysers already export the sample date. For those that do not, you will need to make the necessary amendments. Please contact 4S for a revised specification.

• create a new interface instance that has ‘Match on Sample Date’ set to ‘Yes’ and import using this. Use the new ‘Copy Instance’ facility to copy your existing settings to a new instance (see below).

Use this section to answer the following questions:

A – Does my interface support this new feature?

B - Does my lab system or analyser export the sample date already?

C – What do I need to do?

Generic Intellitec, LMX, Masterlab, Masterlab (Ethernet)

A – Yes

B – Yes

C – Copy your existing interface instance and use the new version.

Generic Lis, Paruna, Pathnet, Revised Telepath 2

A – Yes

B - No

C – Obtain a revised specification from 4S then perform the necessary changes to your lab system export.

TAS Analyser

A – Yes

B - Yes

C – Copy your existing interface instance and use this instead. NB TAS interfaces often have special site customisation. If you intend to perform a copy, do not delete your original interface until the new one is working successfully. Contact 4S to review your customisations and ensure they are applied to the new instance.

KC4, ACL Analyser

A – No

B - No

C – Review your current interface procedures to ensure you have adequate safeguards against importing and matching old results.

Please call our support line if you have any questions or need assistance.