Case Study
Remembering COVID: A Medical Lab’s Journey to One Million COVID-19 Tests
March 24, 2025
Editor’s Note: On May 11, 2023, the World Health Organization officially declared the end of the global COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. While much of the world has moved forward, those in healthcare - particularly within the laboratory information system (LIS software) industry and pathology lab management - continue to reflect on the lessons learned during those extraordinary times to better prepare for future infectious disease threats.
Learn More: End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration
At LigoLab, supporting our laboratory partners throughout the pandemic was a top priority. We stayed closely attuned to their evolving challenges and responded with innovative LIS system software solutions designed to meet the moment. Whether it was rapidly optimizing clinical lab workflow or ensuring the safety of patients and providers, our work was rooted in collaboration and a shared commitment to public health.
One of the most impactful aspects of this period was witnessing and documenting the resilience of our partners on the frontlines. As we look back on these defining moments, we remain inspired by the dedication and adaptability of the best LIS software vendors and broader laboratory communities.
Learn More: Best LIS Software - Maximize Growth With Cutting-Edge Pathology Lab Management Software
With that spirit in mind, we invite you to reflect on COVID-19’s impact and revisit this LigoLab case study published in 2020.
Lab’s Strategic Partnership with TestDirectly Boosts Testing Capacity and Efficiency, Achieving One Million COVID-19 Tests in Eight Months
With an ongoing aggressive second surge in COVID-19 cases in the fall of 2020, faster and more reliable testing rates moved back into a critical stage for a prominent all-purpose direct-to-consumer lab testing organization that was aligned with the Illinois Department of Health.
What follows is a direct-to-consumer lab testing case study of what this lab did to drastically enhance efficiency and test turnaround times soon after an outbreak of the Coronavirus in the spring of 2020.
The case study highlights how the lab’s use of laboratory information system software, combined with the implementation of the TestDirectly direct-to-consumer testing portal, enabled the creation of a streamlined digital workflow - scaling the organization’s testing capacity to 15,000 specimens per day.
From patient demographic acquisition and appointment scheduling to specimen collection and laboratory processing, and finally the delivery of consumer lab reports (via email, SMS, or portal), plus laboratory billing and follow-up, TestDirectly expertly supported all of these workflows while resolving patient-specific related bottlenecks (such as paper requisitions and manual labor).
Learn More: Highlighting the Versatility of the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal
As a result of its partnership with TestDirectly (and TestDirectly.com), the lab hit the one million COVID-19 tests milestone in just eight months.
Here’s a recap of that journey to the one million milestone.
Milestone Moment: Illinois Lab Surpasses One Million COVID-19 Tests with Scalable Molecular LIS and Strategic Vision
November 19 was a milestone day, a bright moment in an otherwise dark winter. That’s the day a prominent all-purpose lab based in Illinois processed and reported its one millionth SARS-CoV-2 case.
That’s one million COVID-19 tests since April 2020. Quite an accomplishment for a practice that quickly pivoted and added molecular lab testing software to its growing histopathology business just as the first wave of the pandemic hit the state.
Credit the lab’s CEO for recognizing the need to act quickly and having the vision to invest in and build a scalable operation that hospitals, long-term care facilities, and government agencies continue to rely on as a massive second wave surges through the state.
Learn More: A Scalable Solution for Molecular LIS Testing Labs
The lab has relied on LigoLab as its partner for laboratory information system functions and molecular lab software. The enterprise LIS company supports all its technical workflows and financial operations - and has done so for nearly two years.
The LigoLab platform features embedded modules for anatomic pathology (LIS pathology), clinical laboratory (healthcare LIS), molecular diagnostics (molecular LIS), lab revenue cycle management (lab billing), and direct-to-consumer lab testing (TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com), all on one united LIS software infrastructure that eliminates data silos and allows the laboratory to start the laboratory billing cycle (lab RCM) at the order level.
Learn More: Maximizing Your Lab’s Profitability: The Case for In-House Lab Billing
By April, the lab already had a critical component in place. The diagnostic lab software module/molecular LIS was the foundation for building out the lab’s molecular testing workflow. From that starting point, lab leadership quickly added the required instrumentation, including particle extraction platforms, safety hoods, liquid handling systems, and real-time PCR equipment, enabling testing to begin shortly thereafter.
Scaling for Demand: The Roles of TestDirectly and Strategic Investment
As the need for testing has grown over the last several months, the testing capacity at the molecular LIS lab has also steadily increased to meet the demand.
This can be attributed to the lab’s willingness to invest in more instrumentation, and its use of the innovative TestDirectly direct-to-consumer lab testing portal, the newest addition to the LigoLab platform that helps labs eliminate the bottlenecks and friction they typically face to expedite results time.
Add to that a well-earned reputation for providing high-quality test results without sacrificing test turnaround times and it's easy to see why an agency like the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) would choose this lab as a testing partner.
“The State of Illinois relies heavily on us for testing. They keep sending us more samples,” said the CEO, who estimated 75 percent of the current workload comes from drive-through or mobile testing sites. “They’ve also been extremely impressed with TestDirectly results time.”
At present, the lab is processing specimens from 10 testing sites (eight drive-throughs and two mobile sites) run by the health department. Of these 10 sites, six are using TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com for their COVID-19 collection, testing, and consumer lab reports workflow.
TestDirectly: A Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal That Digitizes Workflows, Boosts Capacity, and Accelerates Turnaround Times
TestDirectly is a web-based direct-to-consumer lab testing portal that works seamlessly with any laboratory information system software to replace paper requisitions and manual labor with a streamlined digital lab workflow that boosts testing capacity and improves turnaround times.
TestDirectly creates direct-to-consumer labs, accessible from anywhere at any time with any mobile device. The portal supports the complete life-cycle of a case and a specimen, including patient self-registration and scheduling, specimen collection (drive-through, walk-ups, employer testing, at-home testing, etc.), laboratory processing, consumer lab report delivery, and laboratory billing operations.
“Our biggest challenge is the intake bottleneck. Once samples reach processing more quickly, our staff and equipment can manage the volume without delaying turnaround times,” said the CEO, a strong advocate for IDPH to adopt the TestDirectly direct-to-consumer lab testing portal at all its drive-through and mobile testing locations.
“The errors and the fluidity become barriers without the LigoLab platform and TestDirectly. By spending less time trying to interface with four separate laboratory software systems across the state, people will be better off, because we all know that data transfer doesn’t work perfectly every time,” continued the CEO.
The lab’s medical director echoed these comments while providing an inside look at the challenges the lab faces daily while managing a testing capacity of 15,000 specimens.
“There are constant battles that everybody faces. Reagent shortages, consumable shortages, personnel shortages,” the former Chief Virologist for the IDPH said. “That being said, we have an excellent staff making strides to increase our testing capacities.”
The doctor joined the lab in September, and since then the laboratory has effectively doubled its testing capacity to keep up with demand by adding four additional particle extraction platforms and three additional real-time PCR systems to their operations.
According to the doctor, the lab now totals eight real-time PCR systems capable of running 384 specimens in under 90 minutes. He also said those machines can run 24/7 without delay because TestDirectly (and TestDirectly results time) have been invaluable in removing the accessioning barrier.
“Having the patient preregister and enter in his or her demographic details and other information ahead of time has been essential to this whole process,” said the doctor. “When the patient gets to the mobile testing site, all information is added automatically. Then it’s simply linking that specimen back to that patient, putting a barcode on it, and moving on.”
Historically accessioning has been done either through paper requisitions or by the patient filling out a form before collection, with info from that form manually entered into the lab information system. With TestDirectly supporting direct-to-consumer labs, the barcode is scanned, the information is verified through the LIS system, and the specimen is sent straight to the testing laboratory - the whole lab workflow is digital
“If we had 15,000 paper requisitions, it would be impossible to maintain our results at that sample volume. TestDirectly has worked flawlessly and the fact that it links directly into our laboratory information system software has saved countless hours,” stated the doctor, who also noted the importance of patients having the ability to log in and access their test results as another big time-saver on the backend.
One million COVID-19 tests in eight months is something to celebrate, but please forgive the lab if it chooses to save that celebration for another day.
“I think the battle is just beginning. We’re still facing several months before we have any real solution,” concluded the CEO.
On-Demand Webinar: Learn How to Expand Your Lab’s Services and Add Revenue with Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing
Unite Your LIS System & Lab RCM Workflows and Revolutionize Your Business
The LigoLab Medical LIS & Lab RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform is a fully integrated laboratory information system that supports innovative laboratory billing solutions. The platform connects every laboratory department on one united pathology software infrastructure that transforms operations.
Unlike traditional lab RCM solutions, LigoLab starts the laboratory billing process at the order level with verification and scrubbing components shared by the medical LIS and lab billing modules. The platform also features advanced automation and a seamless laboratory workflow management designed to increase operational efficiency, transparency, revenue, and profit.
Learn more about LigoLab and highly customizable molecular lab software solutions for LIS system workflow and direct-to-consumer lab testing.
