Laboratory testing has always been an essential element of diagnostics, generating data that doctors can use to assign treatment and make vital decisions. According to experts in lab medicine, the amount of data in healthcare doubles every 3-5 years. In essence, modern laboratories are data mines, providing facts and insights that the clinicians rely on for prognostication and treatment.
In this article, we will explore some of the challenges that lab workers face on a daily basis, and see how modern software solutions can help them deliver more value.
Running a Med Lab in 2020: the Common Challenges
Admittedly, running a modern lab, managing pre-test, and post-test processes and handling the ever-increasing amount of administrative tasks is no cakewalk. Moreover, there’s increasing pressure to deliver more and better results over shorter time spans.
– Lack of automation
– Accessibility
– Warehouse management
– Data management and administrative tasks
are just some of the problems that prevent modern labs from fully unlocking their potential and enhancing medical services.
Lack of automation
In 2020 you would expect modern laboratories to be equipped with digitized workstations that rely on electronic tools for doing tests and managing workflow. Yet, many labs across the world are still wasting precious time on routine and preparatory tasks. Samples markup, making patient records, generating and distributing reports and answering to telephone queries still need the undivided attention of lab personnel and interfere with test analysis and interpretation.
Accessibility and availability issues
In today’s world, remote work is no longer a fad – it’s often a necessity (current Coronavirus outbreak is just another evidence of this). Yet, a lot of lab workers are still physically attached to their workplaces and can’t access lab data and equipment from various devices and locations. Accessibility and availability issues are hampering lab efficiency and impeding the delivery of results.
Warehouse management issues
The lack of adequate warehouse management systems often results in the loss of expensive reagents, antibodies, or cell lines, and creates obstacles when least expected. The truth is – lab workers may be too busy to keep track of reagents and materials and to include warehouse management tasks into their daily routines.
Administrative tasks and data management
Pricing, billing, discounts, samples markup, handling and storing patient’s sensitive data: these tasks are not directly related to lab analysis, yet, someone has to attend to them, to ensure that a lab operates smoothly with little or no disruptions. Employing administrative personnel to handle these tasks is a viable solution. Yet, salary expenses are taking their toll on the lab budget.
Using Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) To Enhance Lab Performance
As you can see, most of the above-mentioned challenges revolve around manual tasks, or emerge as their direct consequence. Also, quality issues may arise as a result of personnel having to attend to a plethora of routine collateral assignments.
The solution lies in automating manual work with modern software tools – which is exactly what VARTEQ Laboratory Information System (LIMSys) is tailored to do.
An all-in-one laboratory management system, LIMSys helps modern labs manage day-to-day functions and enables both medical and administrative staff to interact on a wide range of tasks. All relevant user roles can have access to respective lab data, manage their patients’ lab work, assign tasks, monitor performance and execute managerial and administrative functions. On top of that, LIMSys is a cross-platform solution, offering remote access to multiple users and available in web and mobile versions.
Another important LIMSys feature is advanced data protection. The system securely stores, back’s up and manages patients’ medical data. Moreover, it’s easy to use and its installation doesn’t require any tech skills or specific knowledge.
Most importantly, though, the data management capabilities and automation that they bring to the table enable modern labs to increase their output and efficiency.
Read also: Improving Medical Image Analysis With AI-Based Tools And Solutions
This quote from the second edition of Clinical Laboratory Medicine manual, edited by Kenneth D. McClatchey, MD, fully describes the positive impact of information systems like LIMSys:
“With a good computer system, the workflow in a pathology lab can be improved to the limit of the imagination of the medical director or the information division chief or the system capabilities. Cytology quality assurance, tissue coding, online stain ordering, resident signout/review, and electronic signout can be done faster in a more reliable manner”.
Ultimately, implementing a laboratory information management system has two major benefits: reducing labor costs by automating routine tasks, plus quick report generation and quality assurance, which simply can’t be achieved manually.
Surely, the capabilities of AI-based tools and solutions reach far beyond the scope of routine workflow and administrative management.
In her interview to Healthmanagement.org, about challenges and opportunities in a medical laboratory, Prof. Ana-Maria Simundic says:
“Test algorithms, panels, and various gate-keeping strategies can be implemented into hospital information systems (HIS) and laboratory information systems (LIS) not only to automate test ordering and test interpretation but also to complement the laboratory and clinicians’ skills and enhance the quality of care provided.
Such systems can effectively support the diagnostic process, ensuring that patients are always receiving a standard level of care, while allowing exceptions and as respecting the autonomy of a clinician.”
Modern lab information management systems are able to capture, store and analyze various lab-related data, and even act upon this data. In a data-driven business environment, using insights from data will help increase productivity, optimize efficiency and, ultimately, improve the quality of patient service.
Read also: How Automation And IoT Are Transforming Healthcare
Want to learn more about how modern software solutions can improve your lab operations? Contact our experts now for a free consultation!