We are lucky that we have managed to put all our SOP's on-line. It has been great and I highly recommend it! The problem I am facing is when I look at the electronic SOP on-line, how do I know this is the lastest version of the SOP. We do keep a SOP tracking log, but nothing on the SOP itself indicates what version it is. On paper copies, we are able to see signatures of approval and a date, but not on the electronic version.

I was wondering if anyone had any inventive or creative ways of identifying the latest version of the SOP electronically?

thanks

stephanie

We have an "archived" folder where we put older versions. The techs know to look in the "current" folder to view the most recent SOPs. Within the "current" folder, we have a subfolder for each of our manuals. We also have the SOP titles in the Table of Contents for each volume hyperlinked to the SOP.

Are you using Acrobat Reader ??

We are using Microsoft Word.

I use Word, but I password protect the files. I have an archive folder for ones removed from use. I also have an Excel spreadsheet that I use as a link to the current SOPs. No need to seach through a bunch of folders on the shared drive. Just go to to the Excel Table of Contents, and the name of the SOP is hyperlinked to the actual current SOP. I also have a review trigger on the same sheet that tells me when the last review was and tells me visually by color that review is coming up (yellow highlight) or overdo (pink highlight). I have a WIP (work in progress) folder for SOPs I am modifying.

BC

We have a similar thing, Bob. We are part of the Dept of Laboratory Medicine and the department head has a standardized "Document Control Log" spreadsheet that each lab section uses. We document review due dates, date of actual review, and reviewer.

All the files are "read only" except for those with security to write, update, and revise SOPs. Security access is also folder specific. For example, I can not "write" to any files other than those in the BB folder and subfolders.

It's convenient, isn't it Bev? When the FDA asked to see such and such SOP, I had it in their hands in less than 5 minutes. No seaching through heavy binders.

BC

Do you have hyperlink set by keywords?? eg. If you type RHIG all RHIG policies show up.???? Your color coding for review of the policies ...is this automatic??? If yes where is that option???

No. I set the hyperlink to go to the SOP. For instance, if you look at the Table of Contents and scroll down to the SOP for, say, ABO/Rh Testing, all you have to do is click on the name of the SOP and the hyperlink will take you directly to the electronic SOP. You do this by going to the Insert dropdown menu and selecting "Hyperlink" (bottom of the dropdown menu). You then browse your files to the location of the file, then link it to the highlighted text (Word) or the field (Excel).

BC

As far as the background colors of a field, you set that by going to Format then Conditional Formating. I make two columns- one is the date of the last review. The column next to it is the due date for the next review, which is a formula such as =B12+365 where B12 is the field with the date of the last review. I then go to Conditional Formating and select the condition "Less than" and put "=TODAY()", then format the background to be pink if the statement is true (in other words, the review date has passed); I add another condition "Greater than" and "=TODAY()" and format the background to be green if the statement is true (in other words, you still haven't passed the review date yet).

I have attached an Excel sheet with an example of the formatting (click on New Sheet attachment).

I hope this helps.

BC

New Sheet.xls

Thank you very much.

At our facility we follow same process, the policies and procedures ar in MS Word format and we password protect them. All procedures are linked to the table of contents by a hyperlink. The first page of each procedure has a header where we have a box to indicate the date of last revision, this way we know this is the most recent copy. Only 2 satff members (Supervisor and a senior tech) have access to modify the policies and procedure. P&P are posted on a shared drive and can be accessed from any PC thoughout the facility.

Even when they are password protected in Word, isn't it possible for anyone to delete them (by accident I assume) and also to copy them, save as not read only, change them and put them back. Not that I think anyone would, but that is along my boss' line of concern. Ours are PDF, but we are just starting this and still keeping a paper copy. (Must have downtime for when the network is down anyway.) All the techs that are too young for bifocals prefer to look them up online.

We have our SOPs in an administrative drive that techs can access and read, but cannot make any modifications to SOPs, copy them, or delete them.

BC