Siemens BN User Group meetings for plasma protein customers were hosted to demonstrate the company’s commitment to nephelometry. On the agenda was an introduction to Siemens Free Light Chain assays, education tools, and an Ask the Expert open session.
Performance data presented on Siemens Free Light Chain assays was received with great enthusiasm by BNII and BN ProSpec customers. The assay reaction times, proven antigen excess security, and flexible packaging really captured audience attention.
The ADVIA Chemistry, Immunoassay and Haematology teams also ran back-to-back User Group meetings in historic Stratford-upon-Avon. The sessions brought over 160 delegates up to speed on the latest innovations, and provided a platform for the sharing of ideas.
Delegates attending included new customers from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, in addition to long-term partners from NHS Grampian, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
General feedback from delegates was that once again a well thought out and informative platform for learning was delivered. When asked how they would rate the meeting in comparison to similar industry sessions, some 70% of delegates cited it at well above average.
Personality, information and new ideas
The ADVIA Chemistry meeting covered an ADVIA Chemistry update, introduction to ADVIA Chemistry HbA1c and Cystatin C, plus a troubleshooting and Ask the Expert open session.
Hannah Sutheran, a biomedical scientist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “This was our first user group as Siemens customers, having recently gone live with combined haematology and biochemistry analytical testing on a single ADVIA LabCell. It was a great forum which brought together ADVIA Chemistry users to share ideas and discuss common concerns. It was also an opportunity to put ‘faces to names’ of many Siemens representatives to whom we speak on a regular basis. The excellent sessions with which we were involved underpin our initial perception of Siemens – committed to solving questions quickly and proactively.”
The troubleshooting session took the form of an interactive quiz to help with learning. This was received enthusiastically as an alternative to the ubiquitous PowerPoint presentation.
Best practice in immunoassay
The Immunoassay User Group hosted attendance by a wide geographical spread of 75 representatives, from Caithness General Hospital in the Scottish Highlands, to Jersey General Hospital in the Channel Islands.
Representatives from UK laboratories spoke on the early evaluations of ADVIA Centaur Enhanced Oestradiol (eE2) assay and ADVIA Centaur Vitamin D Total assay, plus a case example from Queen’s Hospital, part of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which set out how the department generated FT4 paediatric reference intervals for ADVIA Centaur XP using retrospective patient data. An overview of anti-CCP testing and its clinical use was also welcomed in preparation for the availability of this assay on the IMMULITE 2000 systems.
Pat Radcliffe, lead senior biomedical scientist at Partnership Pathology Services, a joint clinical directorate of the Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust and Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Focus and other industry exhibitions give a very broad picture of our landscape, so the Siemens User Group meetings are more specific to our needs. We gain valuable information on routine troubleshooting, can share information with other users, plus plan for the future by getting an insight into what new tests are coming up.”
Live technology demonstrations
The haematology customer sessions covered a diverse agenda including cytogram interpretation, malaria screening, clinical case studies and paediatric haematology reference values. Over 50 delegates attended from a wide variety of laboratories, including large automated sites and district hospitals.
A highlight was a live demonstration of a HemoFAXS digital microscopy system. This was located in a laboratory in Holland but, using secure remote access via the internet, delegates could see the system operating from the meeting location. It illustrated how the use of the HemoFAXS can significantly improve blood film productivity by automating and digitising the process. This enables the trained biomedical scientist to assess and comment on acquired cell images rapidly, and also clinically review challenging cases over networks with images permanently linked to the patient record.
Personalised education plans
Training and compliance are important elements within pathology and Siemens has developed the industry’s first virtual competence-based learning environment system. During all the user group meetings there was the opportunity to view demonstrations of the Personalised Education Plan (PEP) facility.
The PEP system gives more control to laboratory managers by efficiently managing the individual education plans for each member of staff. The tool can ensure that employees are trained, based on their individual competence needs, while at the same maintaining full, auditable records for courses that have been undertaken.
It is a valuable tool for any laboratory manager who wishes to identify and control the training within their department. It combines competence-based learning with hands-on practical exercises that will ensure training is delivered in a structured but engaging and comprehensive manner to increase staff engagement. It also allows managers to allocate new modules to staff, view transcripts, print reports, and adhere to compliance regulations.
Point-of-care connections
Finally, annual point-of-care (POC) customer connection days were run in the north and south of the UK. These customer-led meetings were designed to share knowledge and experiences in the POC arena alongside Siemens representatives from research, development and marketing. This ensures all views are incorporated into current and future development plans.
New POC product introductions and updates formed part of the agenda, and Conor O’Malley, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and Phil Hurley, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, chaired customer open communication sessions to illustrate and share real-life experiences using the Siemens POC portfolio.
The two-way forums generated positive feedback from delegates and enabled peers to exchange best practice, as well as provide input to a research and development ‘wish list’ for future product improvements.
“The Siemens POC customer connection event was very useful as it gave users a chance to get together and speak directly to manufacturers on what they should concentrate on,” said Phillip Hurley, biochemistry and immunology manager at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. “This event showed that Siemens takes the time to come up with the goods.”
Working in partnership
Ruth Powell, head of business management at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics concluded: “We uphold a proactive philosophy of connecting with our customers, not only at a site level but also by hosting topical and educational forums that deliver new ideas for working, keep everyone updated with new assay or instrument innovations, and provide a platform for peer networking. The feedback we gain from delegates is always positive and we look forward to delivering a schedule of new events in 2012.”