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Case Study

Pathology Lab Management 2025 Guide: Find Out How Experts Utilize Best Practices to Thrive

Pathology Lab Management 2025 Guide: Find Out How Experts Utilize Best Practices to Thrive

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What good are laboratory information system (LIS) solutions and best LIS software practices if they aren’t shared?

At LigoLab, we've been empowering anatomic pathology, clinical laboratory, and molecular diagnostics labs since 2006 with advanced pathology lab software applications. 

Over the past two decades, we’ve collaborated with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking laboratories. Through these partnerships, we’ve developed deep expertise in pathology lab management software, continuously refining our all-in-one medical LIS and lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) informatics platform to meet the evolving needs of our customers.

By staying closely connected with our partner labs, we ensure that our comprehensive and flexible lab information system and laboratory billing solutions evolve daily while actively helping them enhance service delivery, optimize workflows, and support superior patient care. Likewise, these labs do their part by assessing and improving their operations because, in this industry, nothing stands still.

Learn More: The Four Most Important Things to Consider When Modernizing a Laboratory

This blog post is the third in a three-part series exploring laboratory challenges and the LIS software solutions lab leaders have leveraged to thrive and grow faster despite the headwinds.

If you missed the first two posts, click the link below. 

Pathology Lab Management: 2025 Guide: Best Laboratory Information System Software and Practices

Pathology Lab Management 2025 Guide: The Future of Digital Pathology

More Lab Information System Survey Results

A few weeks back, we asked our partner labs to highlight recent changes in laboratory workflow management that have improved their efficiency and production levels.

Today we’re focusing on the issues these labs face daily and examining how they measure production and identify inefficiencies.

Jacie R. (LIS Administrator - Baton Rouge, LA) 

What are your challenges, frustrations, and obstacles? 

“Our pathology department is short-staffed and it’s challenging to implement new ideas. Validation of new antibodies, equipment, and digital pathology is very time-consuming for our pathologists.”

How do you measure production and identify inefficiencies? 

“LigoLab reports are crucial in measuring employee performance. Productivity reports can be generated allowing lab managers to compare all employees for each task. We use these for end-of-year evaluations and to identify inefficiencies in our lab workflow or of certain employees.”

Pam E. (Billing Analyst - Pensacola, FL) 

What are your challenges, frustrations, and obstacles? 

“Interfacing with one of our hospitals is a big challenge. Unfortunately, our hands are tied with the IT department at this hospital.”

How do you measure production and identify inefficiencies? 

“We pull data from the LigoLab platform to track the efficiency of our employees and physicians.”

Stacey G. (Project Director - San Antonio, TX) 

What are your challenges, frustrations, and obstacles? 

“Our biggest challenges are insurance groups with preferred laboratories, and getting the word out to the public about the innovative testing being performed within OUR laboratory.”

How do you measure production and identify inefficiencies? 

“Through error tracking, daily/weekly/monthly volume monitoring, employee overtime, and quality measures.”

Steve F. (LIS Administrator - Santa Fe Springs, CA)

What are your challenges, frustrations, and obstacles? 

“California laws for smaller medical laboratories are holding our operation back.” 

How do you measure production and identify inefficiencies? 

“The flexibility of the LigoLab platform gives us the nimbleness we need to compete in our marketplace. Reporting functionality and distribution is robust allowing us to drive value for our clients and sustain high business retention.”

Shamim A. (LIS Administrator- San Diego, CA)

What are your challenges, frustrations, and obstacles? 

“The biggest thing holding our lab back is that we use two different systems to process our work. We utilize one system for work received from a particular regional health system, and LigoLab for the rest of our business when applicable. We currently can’t interface directly with this health system to make our workflow processes more smooth and simple.”

How do you measure production and identify inefficiencies? 

“Production and inefficiencies are mostly identified at the case level when examining workflows and places where potential problems may arise. Unless something is brought up directly, it's mostly through a review that we identify a problem and work to correct it. Most of the time it's a matter of simplifying an existing process for ease of use.”

Darlene S. (Project Manager - Tampa, FL)

What are your challenges, frustrations, and obstacles? 

“Regulatory compliance is slow and payments from third-party payers are very challenging. Consequently, it’s hard for us to obtain the funds for adequate investment into capital infrastructure and skilled personnel.”

How do you measure production and identify inefficiencies? 

“Standard measures and key performance indicators. These include P/L statements, volume measurements, turnaround time, and client response.” 

Roxane R. (Chief Administrative Officer - Baton Rouge, LA)

What are your challenges, frustrations, and obstacles? 

“Our biggest challenge recently has been hiring enough pathologists to keep up with our business. Over the last year or so, we’ve had a few people retire so we’ve been actively recruiting and hiring to build back up to where we need to be.”

How do you measure production and identify inefficiencies? 

“This is measured by the number of specimens logged in and the number of blocks and slides produced daily in the histology lab. A daily manual system is in place for pathologists reading histology cases to help distribute the workload. Reports are then periodically pulled from our separate RCM (lab billing) system and reviewed retrospectively.

Summary of Lab Information System Survey Results

Medical laboratories (across various locations) face unique yet overlapping challenges in their operations. For example, staffing shortages, regulatory constraints, and interfacing difficulties with external systems are recurring obstacles. 

Most labs rely on structured reporting and performance tracking to measure productivity and identify inefficiencies, Many utilize the LigoLab platform for productivity reports and efficiency tracking, which aids in performance evaluations and workflow optimization. Others focus on key performance indicators such as turnaround times, error tracking, and financial statements to assess operational effectiveness. 

While challenges persist, these laboratories are continuously searching for ways to refine processes and improve efficiency. Some identify bottlenecks at the case level and adjust workflows accordingly, while others implement manual tracking systems to distribute workloads effectively among pathologists. 

Overall, leveraging lab information system/LIS software technology, optimizing workflows, and addressing staffing and regulatory hurdles remain top priorities for these professionals as they work to enhance laboratory operations.

Learn More: What You Need to Know Before Contracting with a Laboratory Information System (LIS) Company

Contact a Laboratory Information System Product Specialist to Get Your Questions Answered

If you’re a lab director or manager ready to learn more about LigoLab's LIS system solutions, you should first explore this website for product details, features, and case studies. After that, contact the LigoLab Sales Team to start a conversation and schedule a personalized LIS software demonstration. 

Michael Kalinowski
Author
Michael Handles Marketing and Communications for LigoLab

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Meet with our product experts and learn how LigoLab helps clinical labs and pathology practices digitally transform into modern, efficient, and profitable organizations.  
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