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The Best Laboratory Information System Companies and the Advantages They Offer to Their Laboratory Clients
November 22, 2024
As we rapidly move through the year, pathology groups and clinical laboratories throughout the country continue to look for laboratory information systems (LIS systems) or laboratory information management systems (lab LIMS) that will help them navigate within an industry that’s in constant flux so they can become more productive, compliant, and profitable.
Medical labs continue to deal with fee reductions, unique payer requirements, increased regulations, claim denials, a lack of skilled medical laboratory technicians, and consolidation, all of which make running an efficient and profitable lab operation extremely difficult.
To thrive while addressing these serious challenges, laboratory operators should align their businesses with laboratory information system companies (LIS software vendors) and lab information management system LIMS vendors who understand the obstacles and can help them meet and surpass today’s challenges while preparing for future success.
Learn More: What You Need to Know Before Contracting with a Laboratory Information System (LIS) Company
LIS vs LIMS - What’s the Difference?
Laboratory information systems (LIS software) and laboratory information management systems (LIMS lab management software) are comparable laboratory software systems and it should be noted that these two lab terms are often used interchangeably.
Laboratory information systems and laboratory information management systems are important diagnostic lab software tools that medical laboratories use to manage their testing and informatics.
LIS systems (medical LIS, healthcare LIS) are designed to prevent medical errors and support laboratory workflow management and clinical diagnostic testing within a healthcare environment. Basic laboratory information system functions include tracking, storing, and managing patient demographics and the clinical tests associated with each patient’s specimen individually. Any LIS model will also generate and send lab reports with test results to physicians and other healthcare providers.
Learn More: Manage Complex Processes and Streamline Operations with LigoLab's Laboratory Information System Solutions
LIMS systems (lab LIMS) are primarily designed for analytical testing environments other than the medical lab. Lab information management system software is often associated with research laboratories and the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. Lab LIMS systems typically focus on the sample rather than the patient. That said, a modern laboratory information management system does include many of the same features and components that come with a modern laboratory information system, thus further blurring the distinction between the two systems.
Like advanced laboratory information systems, the best LIMS systems regularly include computerized provider order entry, specimen barcoding, sample tracking, rules and automation, customizable reporting, interfaces with other laboratory instrumentation (including electronic health records, EHRs), as well as patient and provider portals, and can be either server-based or cloud-based.
The Basics: What Laboratory Information System Vendors and LIMS Vendors Offer Their Customers
Medical lab operators, motivated by a desire to differentiate in the marketplace, scale their operations, and become more profitable, are turning to laboratory information system companies and LIMS vendors that offer comprehensive and flexible pathology lab software solutions that address this list of common problems that prevent efficiency and growth:
- Issues with reliability and performance
- Insufficient functionality (lacking modules and features)
- Lack of scalability (current system can’t keep up with demand)
- Difficult to configure (requires external vendor support)
- Legacy report formats and delivery options that don’t cater to customer needs
- Inefficient laboratory workflow management and manual processes
- Specimen handling and sample tracking workflow that lacks a robust chain of custody, uniquely barcoded specimens, and verification at specimen security check-points
- Information on processes, bottlenecks, and compliance is difficult to access or inaccessible
- Need for intradepartmental and external (EMR/EHRs, APIs, instruments, state registries, laboratory billing services) interoperability
Trends in Clinical Laboratory Management
Today’s medical lab operators are looking for more than just a simple sample tracking system, they’re seeking future-ready and scalable pathology software platforms for clinical laboratory management that offer the flexibility, automation, and interoperability needed to fully support all technical and financial operations (laboratory billing/laboratory revenue cycle management), improved patient outcomes, expanded services, and increased collections.
The best LIS laboratory information system companies and lab LIMS vendors tend to be the ones that can offer infinitely configurable laboratory software systems that meet the specific needs of each customer, no matter the size of the lab or the diagnostic discipline it pursues.
When buying a laboratory information system LIS or lab information management system, one should consider how it adapts to more users, interfaces, and increased services as laboratory operations expand. Additionally, the best laboratory information system software and lab LIMS benefit users by improving operational lab workflow, reducing labor costs, and increasing profit.
The best LIS/lab LIMS:
- Manage all departments and operations on one platform with no data silos
- Automate complex processes and reduce manual touchpoints
- Create market differentiation to expand services and acquire new business
- Maximize interoperability and efficiency
- Eliminate human errors and lost specimens
- Produce fully customizable reports
- Provide multiple options for report delivery
- Monitor quality control and quickly identify, troubleshoot, and resolve problems
- Improve turnaround times
- Obtain easily accessible business analytics (dashboards, stats, and dynamic reports) from every department in real-time
Taking the best trends in LIS software and LIMS lab management software even further, when the best LIS laboratory information systems and best LIMS are also paired with a robust laboratory revenue cycle management (lab RCM) software that provides end-to-end laboratory billing solutions for all laboratory activity, these operations gain a major advantage that comes with starting the RCM cycle at order inception rather than after the case has been finalized. Add further front-end lab billing support like verification, eligibility, and scrubbing components, and these medical labs can drastically increase accepted claim submissions on the first pass while decreasing denials and compliance risk.
How to Justify the Cost of Modern Laboratory Information Systems and Best LIMS?
Modern laboratory information systems/laboratory information management systems help organizations remain relevant, competitive, and profitable. These laboratory information systems remove the potential for mistakes and bottlenecks and operate more effectively by heavily automating core processes that would otherwise be performed manually.
Examples of laboratory information systems that produce modern diagnostic lab software solutions will always include the LigoLab Informatics Platform, a pathology lab software and laboratory workflow management solution that creates end-to-end efficiency for all lab ops with its all-in-one LIS software infrastructure.
The level of efficiency users gain from the LigoLab platform isn’t possible with homegrown or legacy laboratory information systems.
By upgrading to the LigoLab platform, clinical laboratories and pathology groups gain the functionality, reliability, and scalability needed to increase lab productivity, no matter their diagnostic discipline (anatomic pathology, clinical laboratory, molecular diagnostics, genomics, toxicology, etc.).
Learn More: A Closer Look at LigoLab’s Commitment to Innovation
Beware: Only Select Laboratory Information System Companies and LIMS Vendors Offer Complete Pathology Software Solutions
So what are the things to be wary of when lab operators begin exploring new LIS laboratory information system software or new lab LIMS options for their respective laboratories?
The questions to ask include…
- Can the LIS lab software or lab LIMS be configured to meet the lab’s immediate needs and is it scalable?
- To change any configuration within the LIS system or laboratory information management system, is external development required, or can changes be made by laboratory personnel?
- Following implementation, will the laboratory be charged by laboratory information system vendors/LIMS vendors for support requests?
- How often is the lab information system or lab information management system updated?
- How are laboratory personnel supported and trained during LIS lab or lab information management system implementation and beyond?
The best LIS laboratory information system vendors and the best LIMS vendors take full responsibility for all of a client’s laboratory information system needs by connecting and integrating every department and lab process and removing information silos.
They also offer infinitely configurable and ever-evolving modules and then take it further by empowering lab users to make configuration changes without external help.
Additionally, they offer their clients deep expertise and best practices within the laboratory domain, hands-on training during implementation and beyond, and responsive 24/7 customer service and support.
In summary, when buying a modern LIS lab or lab information management system these operators shouldn’t settle for a rigid and boxed pathology software solution.
Instead, they should look for a strategic partner that can assist, tailor, and advise their laboratory team when help is needed, while also providing innovative and adaptable pathology management software that can grow with the business as it grows and thrives.
