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LigoLab Delivers the LIS System Interoperability Needed to Transform Medical Laboratories into Thriving Businesses
March 8, 2024
In today’s ultra-competitive world, independent clinical labs and pathology practices need every advantage that they can get. In terms of interoperability, this means having a laboratory information system (LIS meaning medical, also known as LIS software or pathology report software) that delivers maximum connectivity to all instruments and devices, EHRs/EMRs, and third-party services.
If your current lab information system solution doesn’t have this capability, or if the LIS company backing the software is gouging you and giving you the runaround when you submit service requests, you need to ask yourself if that LIS lab vendor relationship still makes sense.
LigoLab’s Laboratory Information System and its Powerful Interface Engine
Let’s face it. Laboratory interfaces are typically difficult and time-consuming, but that doesn’t have to be the case, and with LigoLab, it’s not.
The LigoLab LIS & RCM Informatics Platform is supported by a built-in interface engine (lab interface system) that enables seamless interoperability across all departments and all pathology and clinical lab workflow. This critical piece of LIS system software eliminates manual entry and the accompanying potential for data entry errors, saves on full-time equivalents (FTEs), and spurs growth as streamlined processes lead to the kind of efficiency and productivity that results in increased margins and the potential to expanded services and add more business accounts.
LigoLab’s interface engine is yet another example of how laboratory information system companies that produce advanced LIS systems can provide the desired end-to-end lab connectivity for their customers. LigoLab does this while also taking full responsibility for all laboratory technical operations and finances by also supporting the laboratory billing process (with its all-in-one solution that also includes billing software for labs), minus the redundancy and data silos that come from relying on multiple laboratory software systems.
Support for All File Formats and All Levels of LIS System Customization
“If an electronic device can be interfaced, we can connect to it,” said LigoLab Chief Operating Officer Gor Kalantaryan. “Our interface engine supports all requirements for EHRs, lab billing services, instruments, and more.”
In addition to HL7, LigoLab’s interface engine enables the transfer of data through FHIR, XML, X12, CSV, PDF, Flat File, ASTM, and Restful API. Going even further, the engine is backed up by a talented interface department that has an intimate understanding of LigoLab’s pathology software and offers several levels of integration services for its customers.
“We can support any level of interface customization. This is a core mission of ours, to be a complete, all-in-one solution for laboratories and their partners,” said Kalantaryn. “We can fully take over all interface services, or provide a customer’s IT department access to the interface engine so that department can build its own interfaces. There’s also a hybrid option where a customer’s IT department might handle the common or simple interfaces and then come to us for the difficult ones, and a fourth option, with LigoLab connecting to an external lab vendor that in turn handles the laboratory interfaces.”
No matter what’s needed, the LigoLab platform is there to assist while offering more operational flexibility than older LIS laboratory information system software so labs can deliver, receive, and present data as intended.
For customers, the LigoLab platform sits at the center of their lab operations, with the medical LIS serving as the catalyst that drives them to operate more efficiently and at scale thanks to a combination of integrated features and an open/agnostic architecture. Tasks that were once slow, tedious, and prone to errors caused by manual intervention are now simplified.
Unfortunately, most pathology LIS systems in the market don’t meet the dynamic needs of medical laboratories in today’s constantly changing environment.
“Modern labs have specialized operations that just aren’t met by off-the-shelf LIS systems, and those products rarely offer cost-effective customization or interfaces,” said Kalantaryan.
Lab Information System Interfaces - A Smooth and Painless Process
For labs attempting to interface with legacy LIS systems, it can be an exhausting and frustrating ordeal that can leave lab operators hesitant to try it again. However, with LigoLab’s interface and customization capabilities hesitancy is replaced by a much smoother process, and ultimately more efficient operations.
“When we sit down with our clients for the first time, they often tell us about how painful past interface initiatives have been,” said Kalantaryan. “LigoLab makes the experience much more pleasant. The unique structure of our LIS software and our experienced interface department can turn a project that might have taken months into one that can be completed in as little as a few days or even hours.”
A majority of the laboratory information system vendors create LIS software that only meets the common needs of labs in aggregate. For them, it doesn’t matter that each lab, hospital, or clinic has specific needs that are unique to their operations, their size, and their type of patients. That’s why LigoLab created its interface team to assist with development, user training, and ongoing support. It’s this level of LIS staffing that helps LigoLab stand out from other LIS software vendors.
“Our dedicated team of interface professionals makes certain that every customer request is answered immediately,” said LigoLab Interface Project Manager Dean Anyaocha. “We also stay in constant communication throughout the entire process.”
With LigoLab, the average interface project takes four-to-six weeks, and there isn’t a week that goes by without the interface department communicating with its customers. This is in stark contrast to other laboratory information system companies where the norm is for customers to submit interface requests and then not get a response for weeks, and sometimes even months.
Another area that’s unique to LigoLab is the lab vendor’s ability to see the big picture from a business perspective. As an example of this, if specifications submitted in an interface service request don’t capture every detail, the interface department will advise the customer of this and offer recommendations that should be considered.
“We are willing to accommodate a lot more work than just the ticketed items,” added Anyaocha. “Our goal is to ensure our clients have the best LIS and best lab workflow possible. If that means a little extra work for us, no problem.”
This attitude is also reflected in LigoLab’s approach to interfaces after they’ve been validated and come online. Even after going live with an interface, the LIS company prioritizes the health of the interface with regular maintenance checks to minimize any downtime.
By putting its customers first, LigoLab helps labs efficiently scale and transform their businesses quickly and with less friction.
Learn More: What You Need to Know Before Contracting with a Laboratory Information System (LIS) Company
LigoLab’s Laboratory Information System LIS Solutions for All Medical Labs
As a comprehensive and enterprise-grade laboratory information system LIS solution for all medical labs, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform™ stands out in the marketplace. The all-in-one LIS system and lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) platform includes core applications that support all lab workflow for anatomic pathology (anatomic pathology LIS), clinical pathology (medical LIS), molecular diagnostics (molecular lab software), lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM), and direct-to-consumer lab testing (TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com), all on a cohesive and fully integrated infrastructure that’s infinitely configurable and that supports every department, role, and case.
LigoLab's complete LIS system solution also features specimen barcoding and sample tracking support, a robust and searchable audit trail, compliance verification at every stage, flexible rule and automation engines, fully customizable reports, and multiple delivery options, all priced with competitive tiers that cater to all laboratory discipline types, sizes, and complexities.
Learn More: LigoLab’s New Tiered Pricing Model for its LIS Platform Delivers a Tailored Fit and Maximum Value
To learn more about LigoLab's approach to LIS system interfaces and to see how advanced pathology lab software can make an immediate difference in your medical laboratory, contact one of our LIS software specialists to request a demonstration or a brief introductory call.
