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LigoLab Glossary of Terms
June 3, 2024
What is a LIS laboratory information system?
A LIS laboratory information system (LIS abbreviation medical) is a laboratory software system that helps lab personnel manage many aspects of molecular, clinical, and anatomic pathology laboratory operations, including inputting, processing, and storing the information and data of a lab. LIS systems like the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform act as data warehouses for all medical lab cases and include reporting, image acquisition, direct digital interface with microscopes, label printing, electronic sign-out, quality control, integration with prior test results, auto-reflexing, and more.
Learn More: Laboratory Information Systems Are Not Commodities!
What is a LIMS laboratory information management system?
A laboratory information management system (LIMS full form) is similar to a lab information system in that it enables labs to effectively manage the flow of samples and associated data to improve lab efficiency. A lab LIMS is a laboratory software designed to manage lab productivity and efficiency in primarily non-medical laboratory environments (like research, food and beverage, chemical, and pharmaceutical labs) by keeping track of sample data, experiments, laboratory workflow, and instruments.
What is laboratory revenue cycle management (lab RCM)?
Laboratory revenue cycle management (lab RCM; laboratory billing) is the financial laboratory billing process medical laboratories use to manage the administrative and clinical functions associated with patient service revenue. It involves a series of precise steps that must be performed accurately and on time if the laboratory is to be paid for the services it provides. With the proper lab billing strategy (and the right laboratory billing system, labs can optimize financial performance while ensuring compliance with regulations and maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction.
Learn More: Reduce Denials and Stop Revenue Leakage With Integrated Laboratory Billing Management
What is sample tracking software?
Sample Tracking refers to the lab sample management system by which a patient's specimen is labeled and moved through the testing process before the correct diagnosis result is communicated to them by a physician. For example, the LigoLab Platform provides error-free sample tracking with full traceability of each specimen and awareness of the next step in the workflow.
Learn More: How Specimen Tracking Software Improves Efficiency and Reduces the Chance for Diagnostic Errors
What is a reference laboratory?
Reference labs are usually private, commercial facilities doing high-volume routine and specialty testing with a medical LIS/ lab information system. Most of their tests are performed after a referral from physician’s offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities like nursing homes. While most hospitals try to do as many tests as possible in-house, reference labs are used for specialized tests that are ordered only occasionally (and require specialized equipment).
What is a molecular laboratory?
Diagnostic testing with a molecular LIS system combines laboratory testing with the precision of molecular biology. It has revolutionized how clinical and public health laboratories investigate the human, viral, and microbial genomes, their genes, and the products they encode.
Learn More: How Molecular Test Orders are Accessioned in Lab with LigoLab's LIS System
What is a disruptive technology in healthcare?
A new product, service, or business model is considered disruptive when it helps create a new market or vastly improves how things were done previously. Eventually, disruptive technologies displace previous technologies. A great example is the TestDirectly direct-to-consumer lab testing portal, an innovative new product developed by LigoLab. The portal replaces paper forms with a digital trail and streamlines testing workflows (collection, processing, and reporting). It removes bottlenecks and improves patient access to test results and laboratory turnaround times.
Learn More: Highlighting the Versatility of the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal
What is point-of-care testing?
Point-of-care testing services (POCT) refer to medical care provided at or near the patient’s location.
What does a POCT test for?
Point-of-care testing (POCT) makes it far easier for results to be obtained quickly and reliably. With these results, medical staff can make faster and more informed decisions about a patient’s treatment and care. Examples of POCT devices include blood glucose monitors and pregnancy tests. These devices are usually smaller and easier to use than equipment found in a lab environment.
What is rapid point-of-care testing?
Rapid point-of-care tests provide results in only a few minutes. For example, they can detect current or past diseases like SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) infections in various settings, such as physician offices and urgent care facilities.
What is revenue integrity?
Revenue integrity (RI) means using ethical business practices and policies to achieve three critical organizational imperatives: operational efficiency, compliance, and optimal earned reimbursement/payment.
What is revenue integrity in healthcare?
In healthcare, the goal of RI is to prevent the recurrence of issues that can cause revenue leakage and compliance risks through effective, efficient, replicable processes and internal controls across the continuum of patient care. RI in healthcare is supported by the appropriate documentation and the application of sound financial practices that can withstand unplanned audits.
What is structured data in healthcare?
Structured data is organized into specific fields as part of a schema with each field having a defined purpose. Structured data can be found in any healthcare database, and include customer names and contact information, lab values, patient demographic data, and financial information.
What is practice management software?
Practice management software (PM software) is designed to help medical offices of any size run more efficiently. Typically, small and medium-sized practices use practice management software to manage daily operations like financial and administrative functions. Some offices use PM software to connect with electronic health records.
Learn More: What is Practice Management Software, Anyway?
What is the role of EHRs in supporting population health?
Electronic health records (EHRs) contribute to population health by providing clinically based measurements of the levels and distributions of diseases, functional status, and well-being, providing data for developing and maintaining population health records. By efficiently collecting data in a form that can be shared across multiple healthcare organizations and leveraged for quality improvement and prevention activities, EHRs improve public health reporting and surveillance.
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