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

As the pandemic began, all molecular LIS laboratories faced the same problem. 

How can we provide patients with safe and fast COVID-19 test results? 

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

TestDirectly (and TestDirectly.com) removed the frustrating bottlenecks that labs faced in the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical stages of direct-to-consumer lab testing. With the portal, these direct-to-consumer labs could quickly adapt to and support new COVID-19 collection workflows and move specimens through lab processing much more efficiently. The portal boosted capacity and at the same time improved turnaround times (TestDirectly results time), two key factors that helped slow the spread of infections.

Case Study: How Our Lab Partner Embraced Laboratory Information System Innovation and Won a Statewide Testing Contract

Now, having moved past the pandemic, the TestDirectly 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 direct-to-consumer lab testing solution with core services including patient and family self-registration and scheduling, capacity management, specimen collection, specimen tracking and processing, laboratory billing/lab revenue cycle management functionality, compliance, report generation, patient results notification (by email and text), automated report delivery, and at-home specimen collection. 

Have a question? Ready to learn more? Then contact us. 

Click Here to Speak with a TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Product Specialist. 

Case Study: How Atlas Genomics Supported the Tahoma School District’s COVID-19 Testing Program and How Other Clinical Laboratories Can Follow Suit

Case Study: Cole Diagnostics: On the Frontline and Helping Idaho Businesses Manage Their COVID-19 Testing Programs

‍

TestDirectly Core Services and Features

Pre-analytical/Registration

• Test site and home test site kit search capability via type of DTC test, location, and type of payment
• Email/SMS account security verification
• Patient self-registration
• Patient self-scheduling 
• Multiple test options for the patient to select
• Credit card validation and processing (at check-out or collection)
• Client lab 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 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 SMS notifications for appointment reminders
• Integration with third-party software systems including laboratory billing systems 

Pre-analytical/Collection

• A 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)
• Ability to pre-print specimen labels for all scheduled patients 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 electronic order 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 laboratory information system (or integration with any other LIS systems)
• 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 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 direct-to-consumer lab testing portal
• Ability to add specific text/instructions for patients that appear 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 template management
• Ability to add terms and conditions that patients must acknowledge at order checkout
• Rules/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

Pathology Lab Software Innovation that Removes Growth Barriers

LigoLab is a leading provider of innovative end-to-end pathology lab software for medical laboratories, proudly servicing its growing customer base for nearly two decades. 

As a comprehensive enterprise-grade laboratory information system and laboratory billing solution, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform™ includes modules for anatomic pathology (anatomic pathology LIS), clinical laboratory (medical LIS), molecular diagnostics (molecular LIS), lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM), and direct-to-consumer lab testing, all on one united and integrated platform that supports every role, department, and case. 

To learn more about LigoLab’s innovative LIS system and laboratory billing solutions, click here to schedule a visit with a product specialist. 

‍

‍