Small medical labs often have the benefit of being able to provide cost-effective tests and services compared to the large national types of medical laboratories. However, what most small labs don’t have is the technology to provide quick access to information for doctors and other clients or the right LIS system to fit their budget.
There are several important components of an LIS system designed for a smaller lab. The best systems are fully scalable, which means as your lab grows in employee number and healthcare clients the system will grow along with your needs.
Access to Information
An LIS system, or Laboratory Information System, provides the lab and the lab’s clients, the doctors and healthcare professionals, with immediate access to all records in the system. This includes providing secure portals so that the medical professionals once registered through the system can log on to a web-based secure portal to the lab’s website.
Through this portal, doctors can have immediate access to any reports needed from the lab, patient records, and test histories, as well as to enter orders for the lab. This not only saves time for the doctors, but it also reduces the risk of any errors in relaying information or relying on old or outdated data sharing systems.
Customized Software Solutions
Not all labs are the same, and many of the smaller labs provide niche types of services and testing for the healthcare industry. These types of labs need the option to customize the software to meet their particular requirements.
When considering any LIS system customization should be a primary consideration. This customization should be part of the software package, and will require working with a company with both the technical knowledge to complete the customization as well as a very good understanding of the medical laboratory processes and what is needed.
Cost
Initially, any LIS system is going to be an investment for the laboratory. Shopping around and learning about the different programs offered is an important part of finding the right match of software options, scalability and customer support that matches the lab’s budget.
There are specialized software companies only working with LIS system development and customization. These are the top companies to consider for small labs as they have the expertise, specialization, and understanding to develop a top quality software solution at a price that is feasible for labs of all sizes.
