As I see it, the only way this system may work is if you have a "code" to
determine what those random numbers mean and which samples they belong to
which, in itself, will "defeat" the randomization objective.Otherwise this will
be "chaos" in any lab, and the bigger the greater the chaos.To me it is the
most stupid, although "anonymously correct" proposition that I am sure was
designed by a "number pusher" seated in his/her desk and with little to do at
the moment and with no actual idea of how a pathology lab works and what would
imply mixing up specimens or being unable to be SURE which sample belongs to
whom.I would strongly oppose it!René
On Tuesday, August 25, 2015 10:18 AM, "Wheelock, Timothy R. via Histonet"
<histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu> wrote:
Hi Everyone:
It appears that for security and privacy reasons, the NIH wants us to change
from an internal specimen tracking system that employees sequential
numbers(8634, 8635, 8636 etc.) to a system that uses randomly generated
anonymizing number (20487, 71936, 88011 etc.) It seems to me that this invites
mistakes and mixing up of cases. (Humans seem to deal better with sequential
numbers). This would include everything, from the buckets with formaldehyde in
which half brains are fixed, to wax blocks, to slides, to block and slide
files, to the images that I take on each case.
Does anyone have experience using computer generated random
anonymizing tracking numbers in their pathology or tissue banking departments?
What system of checks do you employee to avoid mistakes and make the work go
smoothly? Perhaps this system will work fine, once we are used to it.
Thank you very much for any feedback.
Tim Wheelock
Harvard Brain Bank
McLean Hospital
Belmont, MA
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