The workflows of individual BSI users can vary dramatically within a single specimen handling facility. Even among users whose work is very similar, the way they might choose to complete that work can be a matter of individual preference. When users are able to navigate and utilize BSI functionality comfortably and intuitively, work can be done more efficiently. It is for these reasons that BSI is designed such that many settings throughout the system can be customized and adjusted at the user level, making BSI a highly personalized experience. Most of these settings can be found in the Preferences panel of each user’s account editor.
The settings available in each User Preferences panel are broken down by category. Some categories are associated with the specific BSI modules accessible by the user, while others are broader in scope and will affect how the overall system interacts with the user. Users can adjust everything from the look and feel of the user interface to the types of emails they would like to receive. In module-specific categories like ‘Data Entry’, preferences such as ‘Default BSI ID format’, ‘Default templates’, and ‘Specimen grouping fields’ can be set to help automate and streamline specimen processing according to individual workflow requirements. Other options, such as those in the ‘Code Values’ category, can be adjusted to narrow down the list of field values that appear whenever multi-value fields are available for editing. This can greatly reduce the time required for activities involving specimen editing as field value options will be limited to only those relevant to an individual user.
It is clear that user preferences can be used to maximize the efficiency of specimen management processes. But equally important is the ability to adjust individual preferences to help make BSI straightforward, intuitive, and easy to use.