LIMS Receiving Samples at the Lab - hmislk/hmis GitHub Wiki

Receiving Samples at the Lab

When a sample arrives at the laboratory, the receiving technician scans the barcode and formally accepts it into the lab's workflow. This step is important: it records the time of receipt, confirms the sample is fit for testing, and makes the investigation visible on the analyst's worklist. If a sample is unfit, it can be rejected at this stage.

Before You Begin

  • The sample must have been collected and labelled with a barcode sticker. Status should be Sample Collected (or Sample Sent, if it was transported from another location).
  • You must have the appropriate Lab Reception or Sample Acceptance privilege. Ask your system administrator if you cannot access this screen.

Accepting a Sample

  1. Go to Menu > Lab > Receive Samples or open the Laboratory Dashboard and select the Samples tab.
  2. Set the search filters as needed — by date, department, or sample status — and click Search.
  3. Scan the barcode on the sample container, or locate the investigation in the list manually.
  4. Review the sample details displayed:
    • Patient name and ID
    • Test name and sample type
    • Container / tube type
    • Collection time
  5. Visually inspect the sample. If it is acceptable (correct volume, no haemolysis, correct container, intact label), click Accept Sample.
  6. The system records the acceptance time and your identity. The investigation status moves to Sample Accepted.

The investigation now appears on the analyst's worklist for testing.

Sample reception screen with accept and reject buttons

Rejecting a Sample

If the sample does not meet quality standards (haemolysed, insufficient volume, wrong tube, unlabelled, clotted, delayed transit), reject it rather than processing it.

  1. Locate the investigation in the reception screen (same search as above).
  2. Click Reject Sample.
  3. A dialog appears with two options:
    • Request recollection — The system sends a notification to the collection point and marks the investigation as Recollection Requested. The patient will need to provide a new sample.
    • Reject without recollection — The sample is rejected and no further action is taken in the system. Use this for samples that are completely unsuitable and where the test will not be repeated.
  4. Optionally, enter a reason for rejection in the comments field.
  5. Click Confirm.

See Sample Rejection & Recollection for the full recollection workflow.

Reverting an Accepted Sample

If a sample was accepted by mistake, an authorised user can revert it:

  1. Find the investigation in the reception screen.
  2. Click Revert Sample.
  3. The investigation status returns to Sample Collected, making it available for rejection or re-acceptance.

Note: Reverting a sample does not delete any data — it simply moves the status backwards so a correction can be made. A record of the revert is kept in the audit trail.

Batch Reception

For high-volume labs, multiple samples can be accepted in one action:

  1. Search for all samples in the current batch (filter by time range, department, or courier batch).
  2. Use the Select All checkbox or individually tick the samples that are acceptable.
  3. Click Accept Selected. All ticked investigations move to Sample Accepted simultaneously.

What Happens After Acceptance

  • The investigation appears on the worklist for the relevant analyst or analyzer.
  • For automated tests, the middleware will query the system and collect the test order; results will return automatically once the analyzer completes the run.
  • For manual tests, the analyst searches for the investigation in the report entry screen and enters results.

Tips and Best Practices

  • Always scan the barcode rather than searching manually — scanning is faster and eliminates transcription errors.
  • If the barcode will not scan (damaged or smudged sticker), search by patient name and bill number, then verify visually before accepting.
  • Haemolysed samples should be rejected and recollection requested even if the volume is adequate — haemolysis affects many biochemistry results.
  • Maintain a rejection log for quality audit purposes. The system records all rejections with a timestamp and the receiving technician's identity.

Back to LIMS