LigoLab’s Direct-to-Consumer Portal: An Innovative Solution for an Industry-Wide Problem

At the start of the pandemic, all molecular LIS laboratories faced the same problem. How do we provide patients with safe and fast COVID-19 test results? 

This disruption within the clinical lab industry led to innovative solutions like the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Web Portal, a cloud-based patient engagement tool that replaces paper forms and manual processes with a digital lab workflow that supports a case from specimen collection to the delivery of the report, and everything in between.

TestDirectly removed the bottlenecks that labs were facing in the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical stages of direct-to-consumer lab testing. With the portal in place, these labs were able to quickly adapt to and support new COVID collection workflows and move specimens through lab processing more efficiently. The portal boosted capacity and at the same time improved turnaround times, two key factors that helped slow the spread of infections.

Now, having moved past the pandemic, the portal remains a must-have for medical laboratories and first care facilities that want to directly connect with patients and provide convenient, safe, fast, and accurate direct-to-consumer lab testing for STI and UTI infections, plus any other diagnostic testing and preventative screening. Along the way, several features have been added to the DTC solution, and core services include patient and family self-registration and scheduling, capacity management, specimen collection, specimen tracking and processing, billing, compliance, report generation, patient results notification (by email and text), automated report delivery, and at-home specimen collection. 

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TestDirectly Core Services and Features

Pre-analytical/Registration

• Test site and home test site kit search capability via type of DTC test, location, and/or type of payment
• Email/SMS account security verification
• Patient self-registration
• Patient self-scheduling 
• Multiple test options available for the patient to select
• Credit card validation and processing (at check-out or collection)
• Client billing option (for third-party clients)
• Insurance detail capture (upload of insurance card and ID) 
• Patient acknowledgment of terms and conditions
• Customizable ask-on-order entry (AOE) questions
• English/Spanish translation of AOE questions
• Customizable requisition/report templates
• Email and/or SMS confirmation when orders are placed (includes appointment details, special instructions, and barcode identifying patient and order)
• Additional family members can be added to one account
• An order can be replicated for other family members
• Order cancellation functionality
• Email and/or SMS notification for appointment reminders
• Integration with third-party software systems

Pre-analytical/Collection

• Pre-generated QR code is received by the patient via a confirmation email and scanned upon arrival at the testing site (paper-free, contact-free check-in)
• On-demand order entry for walk-up patients (or patients without email/phone number)
• Daily schedule available for all confirmed appointments
• The patient’s address appears as a hyperlink in the scheduled list for driving directions (of particular value for concierge at-home service workflow)
• Multiple labeling options:

• Ability to pre-print specimen labels for all patients scheduled for the day
• Ability to dynamically print labels upon patient check-in
• Ability to support pre-printed barcodes on specimen tubes

• Ability to print duplicate Zebra labels from the Processing Queue (for example if labels get damaged)
• Label generation with an access code for patients to check results without creating a TestDirectly account
• Lab receives an eOrder once it’s released from the Processing Queue
• Ability to view, print, and edit requisition/intake forms from the Processing Queue
• Last released tracking validation
• A real-time queue for insurance eligibility checking (payment validation)
• Dynamic KPI metrics and dashboards for capacity management 
• Order search functionality

Pre-analytical/Organizational

• CSV file upload of patient demographics linked to an organization
• Batch generation of orders based on patient type/location, etc.
• Single “New Order” creation available to satisfy sporadic testing scenarios
• “Direct Patient Access”: patients can self-register on demand whenever they need to
• “Campaign Events”: patients are invited to a one-off testing event via email invitation
• Restriction/Permissions to view reports (for example only an organization administrator can view)

Analytical

• Lightweight internal LIS system (or integration with any other LIS)
• Manual result entry (P/N/I)
• Supports the download of patient orders in CSV format
• Supports the upload of patient results in CSV format
• Specimen barcoding and tracking support
• Can delay non-negative reports and add them to the Call Queue 

Post-analytic/Reporting

• Email and/or SMS notification when results are released
• Travel documentation attachable upon request
• Provides real-time results and analytics for patients, public health, employers, etc.
• The requisition and result reports are downloadable/printable via the patient portal

Administration/Configuration

• Users can easily construct/configure test sites based on requirements
• Capacity management for multiple test sites
• Caseload management between testing facilities
• GEO search parameter settings
• Creation of tests/panels to be offered to patients
• Ability to define timezone project to project
• Creation of a “Campaign” for a specific project (attached to a physician, AOE questions, tests offered, payment options, constraints, and other settings)
• Creation of system users and defining permissions based on security clearance
• Ability to add company branding seen by patients while visiting the TestDirectly portal
• Ability to add specific text/instructions for patients that appears on select pages of the  TestDirectly web portal
• Creating labeling options (Zebra labels/Avery labels etc.)
• Creation of customizable email and SMS templates 
• Requisition and report templates management
• Ability to add terms and conditions that patients must acknowledge at order checkout
• Rule/Logic creation based on specifications (for example only accepting asymptomatic patients)
• Automation Engine

Benefits

• Boosts testing capacity and improves turnaround times
• Creates end-to-end efficiencies in laboratories and collection facilities
• Increases testing accessibility and opens new streams of revenue
• Automates patient support and relieves customer service staff
• Supports all types of direct-to-consumer lab testing 
• Supports all forms of sample collections
• Prevents lost revenue with patient demographics and insurance collected upfront
• Drastically reduces data entry errors and lost results
• Replaces paper requisitions/intake forms and reduces manual processes 

• Features specimen barcoding and tracking support
• Removes the risk of exposure for staff members, patients, and providers
• Saves time and resources that would otherwise be spent on manual order entry and case follow-up
• Provides real-time results and analytics for all stakeholders

LigoLab: LIS Software Innovation that Removes Growth Barriers

LigoLab is a leading provider of innovative end-to-end healthcare software for pathology laboratories, servicing 200+ facilities nationwide. As a comprehensive enterprise-grade solution, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform™ includes modules for anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, molecular diagnostics, revenue cycle management, and direct-to-consumer, all on one powerful and integrated platform that supports every role, every department, and every case. LigoLab empowers laboratories to better serve patients, differentiate themselves in the marketplace, scale their operations, become more compliant, and more profitable.

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