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It’s Time for Medical Labs to Embrace the Potential of Laboratory Informatics
May 28, 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines laboratory informatics as the “specialized application of information technology to enable and enhance scientific processes and the delivery of laboratory information, helping to ensure high-quality and reliable data and results.”
In layman’s terms, a medical laboratory that’s fully committed to the successful transformation of laboratory informatics will be able to handle large volumes of patient and specimen data, integrate advanced technologies, streamline operational and financial workflow, meet all compliance requirements, and improve both client relations and patient care.
Industry Insights: Process Improvement and Advanced Technology to Help Relieve Laboratory Staffing Burden
Informatics Start With Advanced Laboratory Information System Software
The role of laboratory informatics is becoming increasingly vital as healthcare processes and data continue to grow in complexity and volume. Efficiently managing staff, lab workflows, and data is essential to ensure that healthcare providers can quickly and seamlessly access the information they need to diagnose conditions and make timely treatment decisions.
Laboratory data comes in many forms, including patient demographics, patient samples, test results, and patient history. This data is typically managed by a laboratory information system (LIS software).
A laboratory information system software solution records, updates, and stores patient-related information, tracks samples, and generates and distributes lab reports.
Case Study: A Conversation With LIS System Administrator Kristie Becerra
For medical labs to keep pace with the changing times and added demands on their businesses, investing in a robust and modern LIS system software that brings innovation into their labs is imperative. Without it, the labs will struggle with efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility.
They’ll struggle because legacy laboratory information systems dating back 10 years or more will lack several features and vital functionality that come standard in a modern medical LIS system. These modern pathology lab management solutions are much better at serving as a mission-critical system of record and a single source of truth for many reasons.
Learn More: How to Turn Your Mid-Sized Medical Laboratory into a Thriving Large-Scale Operation
For a closer look at the stark differences between the best laboratory information systems and rigid and outdated legacy LIS software, we invite you to click below.
Learn More: Comparing LigoLab Informatics Platform with Legacy Laboratory Information Systems
Examples of Advanced Laboratory Information Systems
Now that we’ve established the importance of a modern medical laboratory information system and its critical role in enhancing laboratory informatics, let’s dive deeper and highlight specific examples of how an advanced LIS system promotes overall lab value by effectively integrating cutting-edge technology into a laboratory setting.
Sample Tracking
A pathology specimen tracking system or lab sample management system comes standard with an advanced LIS system software, offering comprehensive and error-free sample tracking capabilities. From sample collection to test results, the laboratory information system ensures that every sample is accounted for and processed correctly.
Gone are the days of missing or misidentified samples that result in delayed turnaround times. Those headaches have been replaced by a pathology lab management system that assigns specimen-unique identifiers when a test order is placed, integrates with barcode printing hardware, and provides full traceability for all specimens, including specimens attached to batch orders.
Learn More: How Specimen Tracking Software Improves Efficiency and Reduces the Chance for Diagnostic Errors
Rules and Automation
The best laboratory information system software features rule configuration functionality. By stringing together rules that lead to a logical conclusion, automation is created to eliminate repetitive manual tasks.
Learn More: Automation in Pathology Labs Using Advanced LIS System Software
This automation significantly increases efficiency and reduces the chance of errors during the laboratory workflow. Also noteworthy, automation helps with another ongoing problem within lab circles: the ongoing shortage of qualified lab personnel.
Learn More: How Modern Laboratory Information Systems Can Protect Against External Threats Like Labor Shortages
Interfacing With Laboratory Software Systems and Third Parties
Integrating a medical LIS system with other laboratory software and vendor systems remains a widespread challenge, largely due to a lack of industry standardization and the persistence of older LIS software platforms that weren’t built for modern interoperability.
Fortunately, the landscape is shifting as modern LIS systems outperform legacy platforms by delivering far greater interoperability. Today’s LIS systems can seamlessly connect with lab analyzers, electronic health records (EHRs), state registries, and third-party applications with far less complexity than in the past.
Equipped with a robust interface engine, a modern LIS medical solution supports all major data exchange protocols, including FHIR, HL7, X12, XML, CSV, PDF, Flat File, ASTM, and RESTful APIs, enabling smooth and efficient integration across the healthcare ecosystem.
Compliance
Regulations within the healthcare industry are constantly evolving, so not having an adaptable LIS lab solution that prioritizes compliance heightens the lab’s risk of an audit and potential punitive penalties for noncompliance.
Modern LIS systems have ad hoc data query capabilities, compliance verification at every stage, and training and support modules. These features make it much easier for labs to operate within the guidelines put forth by regulatory bodies.
Learn More: A Detailed Look at How Modern Laboratory Information Systems Fully Support Quality Control
Ad Hoc Data Query Capabilities: This feature allows laboratory personnel to efficiently access and analyze lab data crucial for responding to unexpected queries or audits, enabling labs to provide specific information quickly and accurately. This feature also ensures that labs can adapt to new reporting requirements or data analysis needs on the fly without extensive LIS lab modifications.
Compliance Verification at Every Stage: A modern LIS pathology application has built-in checks and balances that continuously verify compliance throughout various stages of laboratory operations. This includes patient data entry, sample processing, test result reporting, storage, and retrieval. By automating compliance checks, the lab information system reduces the risk of human error and ensures consistent adherence to regulations at all times.
Training and Support: Understanding the complexities of compliance requires continuous education and support for LIS staffing and all laboratory personnel. An advanced LIS system includes training modules and support teams to help staff stay informed about compliance-related changes.
Alignment with Regulatory Bodies: The best LIS software is designed to align with guidelines from major regulatory bodies such as the College of American Pathologists (CAP), Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This alignment is vital as it ensures the laboratory's operations are current with the latest industry standards, reducing the risk of non-compliance and penalties. As regulations change, a lab’s LIS system must be capable of adapting through regular updates. A modern LIS system is designed for this type of scalability.
Industry Insights: Regulators Are Rewriting HIPAA: 2025 Survival Guide for Clinical & Pathology Labs
Laboratory Billing and Laboratory Revenue Cycle Management (Lab RCM)
Laboratory billing and lab revenue cycle management have become increasingly critical amid ongoing reimbursement cuts, rising operational costs, staffing shortages, and complex payer relationships. When legacy LIS systems are paired with separate laboratory billing solutions, lab RCM leakage becomes almost inevitable due to data integrity and synchronization issues as information moves between systems during the laboratory billing process.
A modern pathology software, such as the LigoLab Medical LIS & Lab RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform, has addressed this data integrity problem head-on by engineering a creative and effective LIS software solution that enables lab revenue cycle management to begin as the test order is created.
At this stage, the LigoLab platform also enables demographics verification, eligibility checks, claim scrubbing, and automated ICD and CPT coding. This is made possible by LigoLab’s unified laboratory information system software infrastructure and shared database, which allows the LIS system’s LIS and lab RCM modules to work in parallel using the same data. As a result, end-to-end data integrity is fully maintained.
These innovative revenue cycle management tools are supported by LigoLab’s all-in-one informatics platform, enabling labs to greatly increase their clean claims ratios, boost their net collections, and reduce time spent on accounts receivable.
To learn more about LigoLab’s laboratory information system functions and the platform’s laboratory billing solutions, we invite you to learn more by reading the following case study.
Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing
Direct-to-consumer lab testing, where patients order diagnostic tests and receive results directly through the laboratory’s diagnostic software, rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to play a significant role in today’s healthcare landscape.
TestDirectly is a LIS lab software application that enables direct patient interaction for both diagnostic testing and preventive screening. It offers patients convenient and confidential access to lab services, giving direct-to-consumer labs a scalable solution that broadens their offerings and supports the growing trend of consumer-driven healthcare.
Labs relying on legacy LIS lab solutions for consumer-driven healthcare will face significant challenges due to outdated architecture, limited interoperability, and an inability to efficiently manage large volumes of consumer-generated data while ensuring robust data security.
Learn More: Highlighting the Versatility of the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal
Digital Pathology
With each passing day, more pathology groups are discarding their traditional glass slides for digitized ones. The advantages of digital pathology include shorter wait times for results, increased precision, and better collaboration between pathologists.
Labs with legacy LIS systems can’t enjoy these advancements, however, due mainly to interoperability issues and non-aligned formats. For example, an older laboratory information system will lack the interfaces or APIs (application programming interfaces) required for connectivity with modern digital pathology solutions.
This is not a problem for a modern LIS system with a flexible architecture and better interoperability features, including standardized interfaces and APIs. A modern laboratory information system is also customizable and scalable, two other key requirements for digital pathology.
Industry Insights: Digital Pathology Redefined: Uniting AI, Viewers, and a Robust LIS System for a Seamless Workflow
Turning Lab Information System Insight into Action
Medical laboratories that partner with LIS software vendors that produce modern LIS pathology solutions stand to benefit today with advanced technology within the lab space and in the future, thanks to the insights gained from employing these advanced applications.
That’s because the best laboratory information system software bridges the gap between laboratory informatics and laboratory operations in several ways.
Improved Efficiency: A modern laboratory information system streamlines lab workflow, automates processes, and reduces manual repetitive tasks. All this leads to faster turnaround times, decreased errors, and improved overall efficiency that labs using a legacy LIS system simply can’t match.
Enhanced Data Management: An advanced lab information system ensures data integrity and specimen traceability at every stage. The medical LIS collates data from multiple sources into a unified database, eliminating the need for manual data entry and its associated errors. It also excels in specimen storage and retrieval, making it much easier for lab personnel to access and analyze the collected data.
Quality Control and Compliance: An advanced LIS system software helps medical laboratories remain compliant with both built-in quality control measures that ensure consistent and accurate test results and robust audit trails that record all user and LIS system-based actions and events.
Data Analysis and Interpretation: Modern medical LIS platforms also include advanced informatics tools that support data analysis and interpretation. Features like interactive dashboards and widgets help labs uncover trends and visualize data clearly, empowering more informed decision-making and more accurate result interpretation.
Integration and Interoperability: A modern laboratory informatics platform includes a purpose-built interface engine that supports all standard exchange protocols and integrates with various analytical instruments and laboratory software systems. The engine facilitates seamless data exchange between departments and external third-party entities such as laboratory billing services and state reporting agencies.
Remote Access and Collaboration: A modern LIS system enables remote access to data and test results, fostering enhanced collaboration opportunities and faster turnaround times.
Enhanced Focus on the Patient: A modern informatics solution supports patient consumerism, a big plus in terms of potential new revenue opportunities for medical labs. Patients want more control and convenience. Labs that can accommodate this by organizing and presenting laboratory data that is easily understandable for them will be way ahead of the curve.
Laboratory Inventory Management: An advanced laboratory information system can also help manage laboratory supplies by tracking inventory and alerting lab leadership when it’s time to order. This type of lab informatics prevents shortages and reduces medical waste.
Two More Important LIS System Benefits to Consider
In addition to what has already been covered, labs that invest in a modern laboratory information system and the advanced laboratory informatics it provides will also win with customization and cost savings.
Unlike a legacy LIS system, modern LIS software solutions offer highly configurable options that cater to a lab’s specific needs and environment. This level of customization promotes scalability, allowing adaptation and expansion of capabilities to meet new requirements and business opportunities.
Lastly, costs are always a factor, so having a laboratory information system that automates processes, reduces errors, and optimizes resources and connectivity will lead to big cost savings in the long run.
Learn More: What You Need to Know Before Contracting with a Laboratory Information System (LIS) Company
