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Is Your Laboratory Information System and Lab Vendor Holding Your Laboratory Hostage?
March 28, 2024
In today’s customer experience-obsessed world, it’s hard to believe that there are still companies that don’t put the needs of their customers above all else. Unfortunately, this is a reality that still exists today. This is especially true for pathology practices and clinical labs that are in the market for a laboratory information system (LIS abbreviation medical, also known as LIS software). It can’t find laboratory information system vendors that can help them scale their businesses and increase their profit margins.
“Regularly, we hear from labs that want a new LIS system but fear they can’t make the switch because of the associated costs,” said LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian. “They are being held hostage by their current LIS company because they either haven’t seen a return on their initial investment, or competing LIS software vendors are just too expensive. This leaves medical labs feeling stuck, and it forces them to make the best out of a bad situation.”
The good news is that there is a cost-effective alternative for these labs stuck with laboratory information systems that lack functionality, reliability, scalability, and responsive LIS software vendors. An alternative that helps them scale and thrive.
Learn More: Navigating the Future of Pathology: The LigoLab Advantage
Advanced LIS Software and Comprehensive Pathology Lab Management
LigoLab, long known for its advanced LIS software and comprehensive pathology lab management solutions, takes the customer experience to the next level by offering a future-ready laboratory information system platform designed to remove barriers to growth and drive market differentiation for its partner laboratories, plus LIS model pricing tiers designed to deliver maximum value to the lab, no matter its size or its testing complexity.
Learn More: LigoLab’s Pricing for its LIS Software Platform Delivers a Tailored Fit and Maximum Value
Unlike legacy LIS software vendors, LigoLab doesn’t require six-to-seven-figure capital upfront to license the laboratory information system. Instead, monthly laboratory testing volume determines the cost of licensing the pathology information system. As volume increases, the cost-per-test drops, providing the lab with volume discounts as they expand their operations. Meanwhile, operational and financial processes improve (including the laboratory billing process), enabling the lab to achieve sustainable success without added labor costs. This creates an opportunity for the lab to enhance services, take on more business, and become more profitable.
“LigoLab operates under an aligned revenue model,” added Avunjian. “This means we align our pricing with our customer’s laboratory goals and we’re incentivized to help them become more successful. We don't charge per seat or module, and we don't nickel and dime our customers on laboratory information system software features. We fully support our partners and give them an infinitely configurable LIS software platform that’s ready-made to address the issues they’re dealing with today, allowing them to quickly adapt by adding more users, revenue channels, interfaces, and services as the laboratory landscape changes.”
Learn More: How to Turn Your Mid-Sized Medical Laboratory into a Thriving Large-Scale Operation
LigoLab’s pricing model is ideal for lab operators looking to part ways with their legacy LIS systems with minimal risk to their operating budgets. With LigoLab, labs are no longer locked into costly licenses or fixed support and maintenance fees. Instead, labs can scale their businesses without hidden costs.
LigoLab’s standard upfront fees are limited to a small cost for implementation and training (both are heavily subsidized by the LIS company). Data migration from legacy laboratory information systems and interfacing with EHRs and other electronic devices are other costs to consider, depending on the scale and scope of the project. However, these are consultative and not part of an ongoing license or service contract.
“Our business model is a partnership model, and we truly operate that way,” said Avunjian. “LigoLab isn’t just a pathology lab software vendor, we are part of our customer’s information systems team.”
More Than LIS Software Vendors, LigoLab is a LIS Company that Seeks Partnerships
This commitment to partnership is at the core of what LigoLab represents as a LIS company. Avunjian and co-founder Edward Kharatian created LigoLab in 2006, soon after Healthline Clinical Laboratories, the business they helped grow to be the largest privately held lab in Southern California, was sold to LabCorp. It was at this pivotal moment that Avunjian and Kharatian decided to go off on their own and create a laboratory information system software platform that they would have wanted to use themselves.
“When I was CIO at Healthline, I sat through tons of presentations and evaluated a lot of different laboratory billing and LIS software,” said Kharatian, who also serves as the LigoLab’s Medical Director. “It was during these moments that I realized the need for integrated and unified pathology reporting software, especially in the pathology environment (anatomical pathology software). No other solution on the market had this approach.”
Ligo is a Latin word that means “to unite or to connect,” and that’s exactly what Edward and Suren set out to do when they started LigoLab. This meant connecting with labs philosophically, technologically, and financially.
The Best LIS Touch All Parts of Pathology Lab Management, Including Laboratory Revenue Cycle Management
Merging and integrating lab processes into something whole is just part of what LigoLab does. The other half is connecting with labs on a business level to help them become market differentiators.
In addition to restrictive pricing structures, fear of disruption is another way labs are being held hostage by their existing laboratory information system vendors. This level of fear exists throughout the industry and it’s common for labs to choose pain over potential disruption as they continue to operate with outdated diagnostic lab software.
LigoLab addresses this fear issue by offering a laboratory information system software platform that comes prebuilt with all of the functions and features a lab will ever need, and for those rare circumstances where customized development is still needed, LigoLab can deliver with turnaround times measured in minutes and hours, not days, weeks, and months.
“There are nearly 300 laboratory facilities already utilizing LigoLab,” added Avunjian. “This means that 99 percent of the things customers will ask for have already been built into the platform. The laboratory information system is super intuitive, and it helps guide all lab departments, processes, and functions in real-time.”
The architecture behind the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform allows customers to scale their lab operations much more quickly than they could via other laboratory information systems. Unlike legacy and homegrown LIS systems, the platform includes powerful modules for anatomic pathology (LIS pathology), clinical laboratory (LIS medical), molecular diagnostics (molecular LIS), lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM), and direct-to-consumer lab testing (TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com), plus supporting modules such us sample tracking and handling, laboratory outreach solutions, digital pathology solutions, business intelligence, and customer relationship management (lab CRM), and supporting engines such as workflow designer, interface engine, reporting engine, distribution engine, rule engine, automation engine, and voice dictation and control, all united under one integrated software infrastructure.
Moving away from a current laboratory information system and LIS company is a big decision for most laboratories. However, LigoLab makes that decision much easier by offering not just a standard LIS system, but a fully advanced laboratory informatics platform that eliminates disruption and aligns pricing with laboratory goals.
Learn More: What You Need to Know Before Contracting with a Laboratory Information System (LIS) Company
Comprehensive and Flexible Laboratory Information System Software for Your Laboratory
As a comprehensive and enterprise-grade laboratory information system software, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform™ includes modules for anatomic pathology, clinical laboratory, molecular diagnostics, lab revenue cycle management, and direct-to-consumer lab testing, all connected via a single integrated database and infrastructure that’s highly configurable and supports every department, role, and case.
LigoLab's pathology information system features specimen barcoding and sample tracking support, a robust and searchable audit trail, compliance verification at every stage, a built-in interface engine, a flexible rule engine, fully customizable reports, and multiple delivery options. With LigoLab, laboratories can use this medical LIS to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, scale their operations efficiently, and become significantly more profitable.
LigoLab's laboratory billing (lab RCM) module is deeply integrated with the LIS system module, and this empowers laboratories to start the laboratory billing process at order creation with no data silos and no need for synchronization, providing a real advantage that reduces denials and audit risk and increases net collections. Additionally, LigoLab's lab billing module supports the laboratory billing process with real-time verification, eligibility, and scrubbing components, automated ICD and CPT coding, and automated client billing. All lab billing processes are seamlessly integrated within LigoLab’s live queue-facilitated workflow, giving users full transparency and end-to-end operational efficiency.
Set Your Lab Up for Long-Term Success with LigoLab's Laboratory Information System Software
We understand that selecting the right laboratory information system (LIS) for your lab is a mission-critical decision with no room for error. That’s why we’ve assembled a talented team of product specialists to guide you and your organization through the LIS system software selection and implementation process.
Get started by contacting us today.
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