[Suggestion/Info] The Laboratory & STAT Labs

[Kloudy Skies]

Laboratory Education:
I love hospital games and this seems to be the most realistic by far. There are some great suggestions out there, but here is one concerning the laboratory.

IRL I am a Medical Laboratory Scientist A.K.A one of the techs you put in the lab, so I would like to share some knowledge and suggestions.

1. The only time there is a STAT lab, really, is not in a hospital. I do not know of any hospitals with their own lab for the emergency room in the hospital (I work in a STAT lab for a stand-alone ER)

2. One hospital = One Lab. One lab with 12 Techs on days, 6 on Second, and 3 on 3rd. That is standard for a large hospital.

3. Again, love the detail in this game, but there is so much more than the hematology analyzer and the 'Lab Analyzer'... see #4 for more detail.

4. Laboratory should be it's own department, separate from ER/Ortho etc. In reality, the laboratory is its own department. We have different areas of the lab as well, these could be zoned in one room together, as most labs are. The departments I would LOVE to see:
- Chemistry
- Hematology
- Blood Bank
- Microbiology (usually a separate room)
- Coagulation
- Urinalysis

- Specimen Processing (Doesn't require a technician or technology degree, but most phlebotomists work this part too)

5. In addition to a department overhaul, other rooms that are covered by the Lab are draw rooms, for drawing people's blood.. there are outpatient rooms, and then morning rounds for phlebotomists which usually starts at 4:00am.
- Pathology
- Histology
- Cytology


Overall, I would really like to see the laboratory as it's own department. The basics are a general lab with all the departments in #4. For hospitalization all the ones in #5 (minus the outpatient draw stations, they are basic for any clinic/hospital).

I'm not surprised the laboratory was a bit overlooked as a department, we are actually frequently overlooked in reality as well... but laboratory tests account for about 70% of diagnosis, and we're pretty vital, especially in blood bank: no one would ever get blood (unless it was an emergency release) with out a type and screen first.

Love the game.. Please rep the lab better

Sincerely, A slightly salty med tech

[Oberkampfkater]

The blood bank is good idea! Definitely a worthwhile addition to the game.

But although you are right with how 'real' hospital labs work - we have to keep in mind the bounds of the game. If you add more details to the laboratory part, you have to add more details to other parts of the game as well or the laboratory part is overrepresented. Sure, the lab procedures are simplified, but so are many illnesses and treatments. A blunt trauma to the head is only a collection for many different injuries. So the 'Lab Analyzer' is a placeholder for all special procedures as well.

The central lab of a hospital could be part of a "General service department" (or a Commos department ^^). But I would really keep the STAT labs for each department. They have their use, they aren't unrealistic (= hospitals over here have 'general labs' and 'special labs' for every depatment) and they give the player possibilities to create something to their liking.

As of now, you can do the 'one big lab for the whole hospital' by combining all the different labs. Here are two examples:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/952978680613570284/A2028419E1FA1B47BDBF2CC933EC0C2EFA7306C9/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/952978680613569054/E1D37F1E70C10BFA4AC76A2A46803564B3750538/


"I'm not surprised the laboratory was a bit overlooked as a department, we are actually frequently overlooked in reality as well" <-- Hey, don't go down that road. ;) Most essential and vital parts of a working machine get overlooked in favour of the shiny front office. ^^

[roman.oxymoron]

Thanks for inspiration ... we'll consider those proposals for DLC's ;)

[Kloudy Skies]

Originally posted by roman.oxymoron:

Thanks for inspiration ... we'll consider those proposals for DLC's ;)

I would buy the crap out of a laboratory/General hospital department DLC..I might even buy my friends copies