Is Your Pathology Lab Reporting Software System Outdated and Lacking Functionality?

There is no doubt that the digital transformation of clinical and reference labs and pathology groups is advancing more and more rapidly all the time. Modern pathology lab reporting software (also commonly referred to as laboratory information system software or laboratory report software) is improving everything from specimen collection and sample tracking to laboratory workflow management and reporting. While labs are the big winners in this pathology software race to the moon, patients are reaping rewards as well. This is especially true when it comes to patient reporting and record keeping.

Thanks to LigoLab’s robust laboratory information system and laboratory billing software and the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Web Portal (TestDirectly.com), patient reports that were once kept on paper, in triplicate, and confined to folders and filing cabinets are now available electronically via pathology lab software for easy access and sharing. The days of a report being delivered from a postal carrier or a phone call are also long gone. Reports can now be sent remotely to the laboratory’s clients, and instantly to patients via web portals, with email and text message notifications alerting patients to check their results.

But technology isn’t the only thing driving change; the reporting of lab results has also become more frictionless because of updated rulings by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In 2014, the DHHS issued a final rule that allows patients or their representatives direct access to laboratory test reports after having their identities verified, without the need to have the tests sent to a health practitioner first. This ruling has created significant efficiencies and has enabled labs to connect with patients directly. It has also empowered patients to take a more active role in their healthcare decisions.

What’s in a Lab Report and Why?

Although beneficial in many ways, easier access to test results also places patients in a position of greater responsibility. They may encounter complex test results on lab reports without understanding the context in which providers use results to make treatment decisions. This requires patients to educate themselves about their test results so that they better understand their purpose and meaning, and LIS software vendors like LigoLab to work closely with their laboratory customers to develop customizable and more patient-friendly reports. 

A lot of the items included in most lab reports deal with administrative or clerical information, such as patient name and identification number, date report printed, test report date, name of the doctor or legally authorized person ordering the test(s), and more. However, lab reports also include complex things like laboratory accession number, name of the test performed, test result, units of measurement (for quantitative results), reference intervals (or reference ranges), condition of the specimen, and much much more. With so many variables, labs must implement pathology management software that has reporting features that can be completely customized but that are still constructed in a way that enables patients to easily find and comprehend what the test results mean for them. 

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The Importance of Pathology Lab Reporting Software with Customization

The fact is not all laboratory information system companies (pathology lab software vendors) offer fully customizable lab reports, and labs that have this capability are at a definite advantage. 

The LigoLab platform features a high-performance reporting and distribution engines with rule-based formatting and uniform presentation. These engines support elements like the full-text richness of Word (format, size, colors, highlights, tables, bullet points, etc.), as well as images, diagrams, annotation, macros, conditional rules, dictation to text, and CAP cancer protocol templates. 

With your current pathology reporting software, do you have the freedom to customize the patient info header? The diagnosis? The comments? What about the gross description, microscopic findings, and patient history? Does your pathology lab reporting software allow you to enhance the reports with images and diagrams?

If the answer is no or mostly no to everything listed above, you may want to explore an alternative laboratory report software. 

Just as important, LigoLab’s reporting and distribution engines also cater to your laboratory customers in terms of options for distribution. LigoLab report delivery options include provider portal, patient portal, outreach software, EMR/EHR, fax, secure email, in-house printing, PDF drops, APIs, IVR, SMS, and remote print server. 

Pathology Lab Software With Remote Access for Orders and Results

What if I told you there was a free and easy-to-install pathology lab software solution for remote orders and remote test results, and the solution didn’t involve any middleware or third-party service for this kind of outreach. Would you be interested in learning more?

LigoLab’s pathology software application for outreach is called LigoLab Connect, one of several supporting modules and engines that wrap around the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform. They help make the pathology lab management platform the most comprehensive in the marketplace. 

LigoLab Connect is a secure java-based internet application that enables remote interactions between the laboratory and its client base. Users can receive and search for reports, pull cumulative charts, fax out of the system, and gain access to all patient-related scanned documents. Additionally, LigoLab Connect can be branded to have the look and feel of your laboratory while also serving as an extension of the business and reducing incoming client service calls. 

The Advantages Offered by Online Lab Workflow Management Systems

In terms of easy access and distribution of lab reports to patients, the TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com checks both boxes. This latest addition to LigoLab’s feature-rich informatics platform gives patients the power to order and schedule the tests they need conveniently from any electronic device, while at the same time making it easier for pathology labs to collect and process specimens, and report safe, fast, and accurate test results directly to patients, minus the paper forms and the data entry errors and delays associated with more traditional testing models. 

For lab operators, TestDirectly is easy to implement (go-live takes weeks rather than months) and it integrates with all laboratory information systems (LIS systems) and all lab revenue cycle management (RCM cycle) systems. In essence, it acts like an EHR with LIS system functionality. It supports patient and family self-registration and scheduling, capacity management, specimen collection, specimen tracking and processing, lab billing, and compliance. With TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com, report delivery is automated via email, SMS, portal, or interface. This includes reporting to public health departments and government agencies in every state. 

Just as important, TestDirectly delivers a better patient experience and it gives laboratories and other providers the tools they need to boost testing capacity, improve turnaround times (TestDirectly results time), and support drive-through, walk-up, and all forms of organizational testing.

Innovative Pathology LIS Systems: A LigoLab Commitment 

LigoLab’s approach to pathology LIS systems and pathology lab reporting software is just one example of how the LIS company values its customers. By offering them a path to achievable and sustainable success with a comprehensive and flexible platform that takes full responsibility for all of your laboratory’s technical, financial, and administrative operations, LigoLab sets itself apart from other laboratory information systems vendors.

To learn more about the LigoLab platform that includes powerful and fully integrated modules for anatomic pathology (anatomic pathology LIS), clinical pathology (medical LIS), molecular diagnostics (molecular LIS), lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM), and direct-to-consumer (direct-to-consumer lab testing), request a demo or a brief consultation with a pathology reporting software specialist.