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York Hospital deploys TalkingPoint's Auto-Import Automation
York Hospital’s Pathology Service has deployed TalkingPoint’s auto-import automation system, aiming to streamline the process of outsourced report authorisation and reduce manual workload.
The decision to adopt this automation arose as part of an effort to alleviate the administrative burden on the secretarial team and Biomedical Scientists, particularly Chief Biomedical Scientist, Helen Armitage.
Helen explains: “The manual authorisation process previously took around 30 hours a month, prompting the exploration of TalkingPoint’s auto-import automation as a solution to cut down on time and effort.”
The system helps to manage the high volume of cases – now reaching up to 2,000 monthly – that require external reporting. Importantly, the TalkingPoint system is outsourcer agnostic, offering users the flexibility to choose their preferred outsourcing partners. This feature ensures adaptability to changing outsourcing needs and options.
While the auto-import system promises significant benefits, York’s pathology team have had to navigate a series of technical challenges in collaboration with their outsourcing partner.
Testing began in early June, with TalkingPoint’s automation proving effective in flagging problems that need addressing.
Issues encountered during the initial phase have now been resolved, and as of October, TalkingPoint is fully automating report authorisation. Helen commented: "The automation is saving us time now." This marks a significant milestone, as the automation is delivering on its promise to reduce manual involvement and enhance efficiency.
Malcolm Grant, Managing Director, The TalkingPoint Team added: "While the early errors we encountered were beyond our control, there is real positivity in how the auto import automation identified these issues. When errors occur with manual submissions, they may go unnoticed. However, with the automated import, all errors are identified, categorised, and reported for examination. This ensures a higher level of quality control.
Pathology services often have concerns about outsourcing work, particularly regarding the quality of submissions. With the TalkingPoint auto-import system, all surrounding elements are meticulously verified. This addresses many of the concerns that end-users have and ensures the quality of submission remains high."
Looking ahead, York Hospital’s Pathology service will be upgrading to the WinPath Enterprise Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in 2025. The TalkingPoint auto-import automation will be integrated with the new LIMS to further enhance the benefits of the automation.
TalkingPoint’s auto-import automation highlights and addresses quality control issues and looks set to support efficient outsourcing for York into the future, where the team is optimistic that the auto-import system will continue to reduce the manual workload associated with outsourced pathology reporting.
The TalkingPoint Auto-Transfer System: Empowering pathology services
The TalkingPoint Auto-Transfer system, which transfers pathology cases to and from LIMS systems, is being adopted by a growing number of NHS Trusts. With its outsourcer- and LIMS-agnostic design, the system is helping pathology services nationwide to streamline workflows, enhance quality control, and reduce manual workloads.
To find out more about TalkingPoint's automation solutions, please contact us.
