Industry Insights
Seamless Data Exchange is Here and Will Soon Be Widely Adopted
February 19, 2025
In his latest thought-leadership article for the Forbes Business Council, LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian examines medical laboratory interoperability between Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Laboratory Information Systems (LIS systems) in its current state.
Click the link below to access the entire article.
Learn More: Enhancing Patient Care With Electronic Health Records And Laboratory Information Systems
Suren writes about the inherent difficulties associated with data exchange between these two disparate laboratory software systems and why it is so important for LIS healthcare leaders to continue to work toward a new level of convergence between the two highly intertwined systems.
What follows is an executive summary of Suren’s Forbes article. After the summary, we’ll also include links to his previous thought-leadership pieces that focus on the best way to fund an enterprise lab, how current pathology lab software technology will shape the future of medical labs, and the pros and cons associated with just-in-time vs. batch processing within the lab.
Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic
Suren opens the Forbes article by comparing what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic to what needs to happen for increased EHR and lab information system connectivity.
He writes that COVID-19 presented a massive healthcare challenge to overcome, and he uses the rapid laboratory workflow management changes implemented by diagnostic testing labs as an example of what can be done when all parties come together with a common goal. These labs changed long-established clinical laboratory workflow procedures in the blink of an eye to take on unprecedented testing volumes and to keep patients out of harm's way as the U.S. healthcare system collectively fought the spread of this infectious disease.
“It should be noted that the healthcare transformation that resulted from COVID-19 wasn’t an outlier. Rapid change is quite common in an industry where internal and external pressures often expedite the development of new technologies to solve problems and deliver better patient outcomes.”
Suren Avunjian, LigoLab CEO
Breaking Down the Basics of Data Exchange
Suren next defines data exchange in healthcare, which is an electronic sharing of patient information between healthcare software systems and healthcare facilities like labs, hospitals, clinics, etc.
He also provides an overview of what EHR and laboratory information systems are used for within the healthcare industry. He writes that the seamless integration of these two laboratory software systems is critical for advancing laboratory medicine, specifically precision medicine and personalized care.
“Once this convergence of health informatics is achieved, the fast and accurate exchange of patient data and improved care outcomes is possible.”
Suren Avunijian, LigoLab CEO
Overcoming Data Exchange Difficulties
Suren states the seamless exchange of patient information cannot and should not be taken for granted. He says electronic health records and laboratory information systems are typically developed by different lab vendors and use various data formats and coding standards.
According to Suren, overcoming a challenge like this pales compared to the Coronavirus pandemic, but there are some similarities.
“First off, seamless data exchange only became a reality recently thanks to the early adoption of newly available EHR and LIS system technology. Secondly, the pressure throughout the industry to increase efficiency to match growing caseloads has also contributed, causing a change in behavior out of necessity.”
Suren Avunjian, LigoLab CEO
The Advantages of Data Convergence Are Many
Next, Suren notes the unrivaled importance of efficiency in healthcare to counterbalance the constant pressure to serve patients better while also dealing with major issues like rising operating and supply costs, declining reimbursements, and a crisis-level shortage of skilled workers.
Learn More: How LigoLab Supports Medical Labs Dealing with Staffing Shortages
Suren believes the effective convergence of healthcare informatics platforms like electronic health records and laboratory information systems can serve as relief valves for the mounting pressures and also result in other real and tangible benefits like collaboration and real-time sharing of data, plus streamlined lab workflow, enhanced accuracy, more complete patient files, much better patient engagement, more cost-effective care, and richer data insights.
Learn More: The Best Laboratory Information System Companies and the Advantages They Offer to Their Laboratory Clients
What Can Lab Leaders Do to Make the Promise of Seamless Data Exchange a Reality?
So what can today’s healthcare leaders do to keep the momentum and push for widespread adoption of seamless EHR-LIS system connectivity?
Suren writes about getting everyone on board by clearly communicating the many benefits with stakeholders. Secondly, he writes about the importance of across-the-board provider support for open data formats like Health Level Seven (HL7) and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR).
Learn More: It’s Time for Medical Labs to Embrace the Potential of Laboratory Informatics
“I believe universal adoption is within reach and that we’ll get there collectively by sharing success stories among providers. This industry is challenging and ultra-competitive, so when healthcare decision-makers see a peer moving forward with pathology software technology, they are likely to follow suit.”
Suren Avunjian, LigoLab CEO
Checkout These Other Forbes Articles
Avunjian is a highly sought-after lab industry voice and a contributor to the Forbes Business Council. Through his articles, he combines previous experience as a laboratory chief technology officer with a business acumen gained from nearly 20 years of leading an enterprise LIS system software company and its signature product, the all-in-one LigoLab medical LIS system with fully integrated laboratory billing solutions. He takes complicated subjects and turns them into easy-to-understand and compelling thought-leadership pieces.
Learn More: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Pathology Software for Your Lab
More Avunjian Forbes Business Council Articles
Reducing Medical Waste And Cost With Just-In-Time Testing
The Impact Of Current Technology On The Future Of Medical Laboratories
Funding Versus Bootstrapping For An Enterprise Software Company
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About the Author
Suren Avunjian is a Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at LigoLab, a leading pathology software company specializing in advanced LIS laboratory information system software for medical laboratories nationwide.
Avunjian oversees all business growth and operations for the fast-growing and innovative LIS company while leading a team of best-in-class personnel. He’s also the creative force behind LigoLab’s strategic vision to build the most comprehensive and infinitely configurable laboratory information systems and support them like no other LIS software vendors with unlimited and unmatched customer service.
