Lab units
Group tests into units such as Hematology or Hormones, with a unit manager whose signature prints on reports.
What lab units are for
A lab unit is a section of your laboratory, such as the Hematology Unit, Hormones Unit, or Chemistry Unit. Each unit has a manager, usually the responsible doctor.
When a test belongs to a unit, patient reports can group its results under the unit name and print the unit manager's name, title, and signature at the end of that unit's results.
Create a unit
- Go to Catalog > Lab Units and choose New.
- Enter the English and Arabic names and a short code, such as HEMA.
- Set the Report order. Units with a lower number print first.
- Under Unit manager, enter the doctor's name and title in English and Arabic.
- Upload the Signature image. A PNG with a white or transparent background prints best.
- Save.
Use a different manager in one branch
If a branch has its own responsible doctor for a unit, open the unit and add a Branch override. Choose the branch and fill only the fields that differ. Empty fields keep the lab-wide value, so you can, for example, change only the name and signature.
Reports always use the manager of the branch that issues the report.
Assign tests to a unit
Open the test in Catalog > Tests and choose the Lab Unit in General Settings. You can filter the tests list by unit to check which tests are still unassigned.
A CBC test is usually assigned to the Hematology unit.
Show units on the report
Grouping by unit is switched on per report template. Open Report Builder, edit the template, set Group results by to Lab unit in its results table section, and keep Unit manager signatures on in the Design tab. See Report settings.
What the report looks like
With unit grouping on, each unit prints on its own page, starting with a heading bar carrying the unit name. Its tests follow in the usual Test, Result, Flag, Unit, and Reference Range columns. After the last test of the unit, a signature box shows the manager's signature image, name, and title. Each profile ordered for the patient prints on its own page after the unit's other tests, with the unit heading and the manager's signature. The next unit starts on a new page with its own heading and signature. Tests without a unit print together on a last page under Other tests.
Practical tips
- Name units after the real sections of your lab so referring doctors recognise them.
- Print a test report and check the signature is clear and not stretched before relying on it.
- When the responsible doctor changes, update the name and the signature together so a name never prints with someone else's signature.
Deleting a unit
Deleting a unit does not delete its tests. They stay in the catalog and print without a unit group until you assign them to another unit.