Blog
Is Your Pathology Lab Reporting Software System Outdated and Lacking Functionality?
October 8, 2024
There is no doubt that the digital transformation of clinical and reference labs and pathology groups is advancing more and more rapidly all the time. Modern pathology lab reporting software (also commonly referred to as laboratory information system software or pathology LIS systems) is improving everything from specimen collection and sample tracking to laboratory workflow management and reporting. While labs are the big winners in this pathology reporting software race to the moon, patients are reaping rewards as well. This is especially true when it comes to patient reporting and record keeping.
Thanks to LigoLab’s robust laboratory information system (healthcare LIS) and laboratory billing (laboratory revenue cycle management) software and the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Web Portal (TestDirectly.com), patient reports that were once kept on paper, in triplicate, and confined to folders and filing cabinets are now available electronically via pathology reporting software for easy access and sharing. The days of a report being delivered from a postal carrier or a phone call are also long gone. Reports can now be sent remotely to the laboratory’s clients, and instantly to patients via web portals, with email and text message notifications alerting patients to check their results.
Learn More: The Best Laboratory Information System Companies and the Advantages They Offer to Their Laboratory Clients
But technology isn’t the only thing driving change; the reporting of lab results has also become more frictionless because of updated rulings by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In 2014, the DHHS issued a final rule that allows patients or their representatives direct access to laboratory test reports after having their identities verified, without the need to have the tests sent to a health practitioner first. This ruling has created significant efficiencies and has enabled labs to connect with patients directly. It has also empowered patients to take a more active role in their healthcare decisions.
On-Demand Webinar: Learn How to Expand Your Lab’s Services and Add Revenue with Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing
What’s in a Lab Report and Why?
Although beneficial in many ways, easier access to test results also places patients in a position of greater responsibility. They may encounter complex test results on lab reports without understanding the context in which providers use results to make treatment decisions. This requires patients to educate themselves about their test results so they better understand their purpose and meaning, and LIS vendors like LigoLab to work closely with their laboratory customers to develop customizable and more patient-friendly reports.
A lot of the items included in most lab reports deal with administrative or clerical information, such as patient name and identification number, date report printed, test report date, name of the doctor or legally authorized person ordering the test(s), and more. However, lab reports also include complex things like laboratory accession number, name of the test performed, test result, units of measurement (for quantitative results), reference intervals (or reference ranges), condition of the specimen, and much much more. With so many variables, labs must implement pathology lab report software that has reporting features that can be completely customized and still constructed in a way that enables patients to easily find and comprehend what the test results mean for them.
The Importance of Pathology Lab Reporting Software with Customization
The fact is not all laboratory information system companies (LIS software vendors) offer fully customizable lab reports, and labs that have this capability are at a definite advantage.
The LigoLab platform features high-performance reporting and distribution engines with rule-based formatting and uniform presentation. These engines support elements like the full-text richness of Word (format, size, colors, highlights, tables, bullet points, etc.), as well as images, diagrams, annotation, macros, conditional rules, dictation to text, and CAP cancer protocol templates.
Learn More: How LigoLab's Pathology Lab Report Software Supports Customization and Client Preferences
With your current pathology lab reporting software, do you have the freedom to customize the patient info header? The diagnosis? The comments? What about the gross description, microscopic findings, and patient history? Does your pathology lab reporting software allow you to enhance the reports with images and diagrams?
If the answer is no or mostly no to everything listed above, you may want to explore an alternative pathology software, one with the robust features and functions that modern lab operations demand.
Just as important, LigoLab’s reporting and distribution engines also cater to your laboratory customers in terms of options for distribution. LigoLab report delivery options include provider portal, patient portal, outreach software, EMR/EHR, fax, secure email, in-house printing, PDF drops, APIs, IVR, SMS, and remote print server.
Pathology Lab Reporting Software With Remote Access for Orders and Results
What if I told you there was a free and easy-to-install pathology lab reporting software solution for remote orders and remote test results, and the pathology software solution didn’t involve any middleware or third-party service for this kind of outreach. Would you be interested in learning more?
LigoLab’s LIS system software application for outreach is called LigoLab Connect, one of several supporting modules and engines that wrap around the all-in-one LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform. When all laboratory information system functions are combined into one unified database and LIS software infrastructure, the end result is the most comprehensive healthcare LIS in the marketplace.
Learn More: Learn Why Leading Clinical Laboratories Continue to Choose Our LIS System and Why You Should Consider it Too
LigoLab Connect is a secure java-based internet application that enables remote interactions between the laboratory and its client base. Users can receive and search for reports, pull cumulative charts, fax out of the system, and gain access to all patient-related scanned documents. Additionally, LigoLab Connect can be branded to have the look and feel of your laboratory while also serving as an extension of the business and reducing incoming client service calls.
Learn More: LigoLab’s Provider Portal Facilitates Faster Order Processing and Improved Turnaround Times
The Advantages of LIS Software Engineered for Direct-to-Consumer Labs
In terms of easy access and distribution of lab reports to patients, the TestDirectly direct-to-consumer lab testing application checks both boxes. This latest addition to LigoLab’s feature-rich informatics platform gives patients the power to order and schedule the tests they need conveniently from any electronic device, while at the same time making it easier for pathology LIS systems to collect and process specimens, and report safe, fast, and accurate test results directly to patients via customizable consumer lab reports, minus the paper forms and the data entry errors and delays associated with more traditional direct-to-consumer lab testing models.
For lab operators, TestDirectly is easy to implement (the application go-live takes weeks rather than months) and it integrates with all examples of laboratory information systems (LIS system software) and all lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) systems. In essence, it acts like an EHR with LIS system functionality. TestDirectly supports patient and family self-registration and scheduling, capacity management, specimen collection, specimen tracking and processing, lab billing, and compliance. With TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com, report delivery is automated via email, SMS, portal, or interface. This includes reporting to public health departments and government agencies in every state.
Just as important, TestDirectly delivers a better patient experience and it gives laboratories and other providers the pathology lab software tools they need to boost testing capacity, improve turnaround times (TestDirectly results time), and support drive-through, walk-up, and all forms of organizational testing.
Learn More: Highlighting the Versatility of the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal
Innovative Pathology LIS Systems: A LigoLab Commitment
LigoLab’s approach to pathology LIS systems and pathology lab reporting software is just one example of how the LIS company values its customers. By offering them a path to achievable and sustainable success with a comprehensive and flexible LIS software platform that takes full responsibility for all of your laboratory’s technical, financial, and administrative operations, LigoLab sets itself apart from other LIS software vendors and positions itself as the best laboratory information system software provider.
To learn more about LigoLab’s comprehensive platform that includes powerful and fully integrated modules for anatomic pathology (anatomic pathology LIS), clinical pathology (medical LIS), molecular diagnostics (molecular LIS), lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM), and direct-to-consumer (direct-to-consumer lab testing), request a demo or a brief consultation with a pathology lab reporting software specialist.
