Compliments to the author

Medical Laboratory Observer, March, 2007 by Josh Fierer

So nice to read your article, "Preventing errors in the microbiology lab." It is well written and makes a lot of good points.

System errors have plagued all branches of medicine, and we have been slow to recognize them and to fix the systems, instead blaming the workers or ourselves. The VA computerized record has been a great advance, including electronic orders that are much less likely to be misinterpreted.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

--Josh Fierer, MD

Chief of Infectious Diseases

VA San Diego Healthcare System; Professor of Microbiology

University of California at San Diego

San Diego, CA