Molecular Labs Hold the Key to Evidence-Based Precision Medicine

Editorial Note: A version of this article was published in MedCity News on August 12, 2021.

Like many parts of the healthcare industry molecular labs are evolving incredibly fast. Almost daily there are advances in everything from instrumentation to service delivery. No longer the mysterious hidden function tucked away in a remote part of the hospital, molecular testing labs are becoming a much more prominent part of the overall healthcare package. 

One reason for this new-found prominence is an increased emphasis on evidence-based precision medicine.   

“Molecular testing labs play an important role within evidence-based precision medicine,” stated Avero Diagnostics Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Bull. “A big reason why there is increased demand for molecular testing labs is that biochemical and molecular genetics are moving medical care forward. Molecular labs are quite literally responsible for providing much of evidence for evidence-based precision care.” 

Learn More: What is the Best LIS for Molecular Testing Labs?

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70% of today’s medical decisions depend on laboratory test results. This further highlights the important role that clinical laboratories play in today’s healthcare environment.

The Rise of Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine

This dynamic has even given rise to a whole new practice, one that is being called evidence-based laboratory medicine, or EBLM. This is a unique branch of evidence-based medicine that focuses on the evaluation and use of laboratory tests to improve patient outcomes. This means molecular testing labs are becoming the key collectors and interpreters of the data provided by biological specimens, helping clinicians better understand clinical pathways and treatment options, including options for drug selection, specialized therapeutics, and other treatments. 

The evolution of evidence-based laboratory medicine also means that diagnostic tests are becoming so complex that physicians and their staff can’t easily understand them anymore. Because of this, molecular labs are frequently called upon to help healthcare providers understand the relevance of certain lab results.

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“One of the biggest changes we have experienced recently is in the role that labs now play regarding the diagnosis and treatment of disease,” added Bull. “Traditionally labs were only tasked with processing specimens and issuing reports. But because they have become so adept at understanding the treasure trove of medical data collected, labs are becoming a bigger part of the treatment team.”   

However, not all molecular testing labs find this elevated role enticing. Some lab directors and managers operating with outdated LIS laboratory information system software (LIS meaning medical) feel the added strain of current heavy workloads. 

However, a growing number of lab leaders recognize the value of advancing lab medicine, and because of this are turning toward future-ready molecular LIS technology for help and support. 

Learn More: How Test Orders are Accessioned in Lab with LigoLab's Molecular LIS System

The Digital Transformation of Molecular Labs

According to the CDC, 14 billion laboratory tests are ordered annually, a volume putting a significant strain on available lab resources. Because of this, labs that don’t have the proper tools or operating procedures are putting safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness at risk and jeopardizing the effective diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

“Modern molecular labs require a laboratory information system that goes beyond basic order capture and result delivery,” said LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian. “Labs need a molecular LIS system that ensures flexibility within and beyond the lab’s network, features specimen lifecycle sample tracking and support, promotes scalability and efficiency, and enhances the lab’s value as a revenue center and care partner.”  

LigoLab Information Systems is a leading provider of pathology software for medical laboratories, servicing nearly 300 facilities across the U.S. The LIS company produces a medical laboratory information system (medical LIS) with a molecular LIS module. 

“The traditional LIS system no longer cuts it in today’s clinical testing lab environment,” added Avunjian. “Molecular labs need a molecular LIS system that can connect across all corners of the diagnostic landscape, including instrumentation, lab management analytics, robust decision support, effective quality controls, third-party interoperability with EHRs, decision population health tools, and other systems.” 

Avero Diagnostics (formerly Northwest Laboratory and Northwest Pathology) has provided a wide range of laboratory services for over 25 years. The fast-growing full-service multi-state lab operation has partnered with LigoLab for its LIS system and in-house laboratory billing software for nearly a decade. 

Learn More: Maximizing Your Lab’s Profitability: The Case for In-House Lab Billing

What the Future Holds for Molecular LIS Labs

Despite the challenges that molecular lab directors and managers face, the future of evidence-based precision medicine is bright for patients and the healthcare industry. Patients that suffer from complex or rare illnesses face far better prospects today than in the past and molecular labs are a big reason for this. 

As the future unfolds, technological developments and advanced lab pathology software will help these organizations meet many of the challenges ahead—especially as molecular analysis tools continue to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of disease. 

Consider for example what’s possible with the molecular analysis of DNA. Healthcare professionals can now diagnose previously undiagnosable patients, determine predisposition for certain diseases, tailor treatments, and precisely monitor response rates to therapeutics.

Because of the importance of molecular labs in evidence-based precision medicine, these organizations will continue to grow and evolve. 

However, laboratories that fail to invest in pathology LIS systems and molecular LIS technology will be left in the proverbial rearview mirror. This would be unfortunate because the healthcare industry needs all labs working on all cylinders. The value of this is not just in the treatment of patients but in the cost reductions throughout the healthcare system. 

LigoLab’s Molecular Lab Testing Software 

As a comprehensive enterprise-grade pathology lab software solution, LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform™ includes modules for anatomic pathology (anatomic pathology software), clinical laboratory (LIS medical), molecular diagnostics (molecular LIS), laboratory billing (laboratory revenue cycle management), and direct-to-consumer lab testing (TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com), all on a unified integrated infrastructure that’s infinitely configurable and that supports every department, role, and case. 

LigoLab’s pathology lab software features specimen barcoding and sample tracking support, a robust and searchable audit trail, compliance verification at every stage, a built-in interface engine, flexible rule and automation engines, and fully customizable reports with multiple delivery options. With LigoLab, medical laboratories can differentiate themselves in the marketplace, scale their operations efficiently, and become more profitable. 

Learn More: A Conversation With LIS System Administrator Kristie Becerra

LigoLab’s laboratory billing solutions are deeply interwoven within the pathology lab software, and this empowers laboratories to start lab billing at order creation, providing a real advantage that reduces late-stage denials by up to 98 percent while significantly improving laboratory net collection. 

Learn More: Six Reasons Why You Should Choose an Integrated Laboratory Billing Solution for Your Medical Lab

Additionally, LigoLab supports the laboratory billing process with real-time verification, eligibility, and scrubbing components, automated ICD and CPT coding, and automated client billing. All RCM cycle processes are integrated within LigoLab’s live queue-facilitated lab workflow, giving users full transparency and end-to-end operational efficiency.