LigoLab’s Professional Tier: A Powerful Laboratory Information System Solution for Growing Laboratories

Too often, LIS software vendors pressure independent clinical laboratories and pathology groups to adopt a one-size-fits-all laboratory information system (LIS) model. Many LIS lab vendors expect diagnostic testing organizations to accept rigid LIS software and simply "make it work." Modern laboratory information systems, however, offer a broader range of features and adaptability to meet the specific needs of diverse labs.

At LigoLab, the belief is that this long-established approach falls short. Medical laboratories play a vital role in healthcare and deserve flexible LIS laboratory information system solutions tailored to their specific workflows, needs, and growth strategies. That's why LigoLab built its all-in-one medical LIS & lab billing informatics platform to adapt to the lab, not the other way around.

For decades, LigoLab has been helping its medical LIS lab partners modernize and efficiently grow their lab operations by providing the best laboratory information system software solutions that deliver maximum value through features and functionality tailored to fit each lab's unique attributes.

LigoLab recognizes that while enterprise-grade pathology lab reporting software works well for some, it is not the right fit for every lab. That's why it designed its LIS pathology solution to be both comprehensive and highly adaptable, paired with flexible, tiered pricing options that align with each lab's unique needs and growth stage.

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LigoLab's Four LIS Model Pricing Tiers

The four LIS model pricing tiers include:

• Essential Tier: An intuitive and straightforward laboratory information system application tailored for small pathology, molecular, and reference laboratory workflows.
• Professional Tier: A comprehensive laboratory information system software platform that aligns with the more robust pathology LIS systems on the market and supports more sophisticated workflows, integration, and operational intelligence.
• Advanced Tier: Ideally suited for more extensive, high-volume laboratories that seek top-tier efficiency, automation, and data-driven decision-making. It is where LigoLab sets itself apart from other laboratory information system vendors.
• Enterprise Tier: A powerful and complete laboratory information system software platform offering total integration across multiple departments and sites, broad scalability, and highly customizable workflows for large regional and national laboratories processing millions of diverse specimens per year.

LigoLab's four LIS model pricing tiers empower medical labs to select a pathology lab management solution that aligns with their budget and growth objectives, providing labs of all sizes with access to a powerful LIS software platform and a clear path for future expansion.

Discover More: LigoLab Informatics Platform - Uniquely Designed to Deliver Maximum Value

The Best LIS Software for Established and Growing Labs

LigoLab's Professional Tier is a purpose-built laboratory information system software solution for established laboratories ready to scale their operations. The tier encompasses all modules and features in the Essential Tier and adds additional, sophisticated functionality to enhance laboratory workflow management, connectivity, and overall operational visibility.

The Professional Tier also lays the groundwork for future growth, with seamless upgrades to the Advanced and Enterprise Tiers available within the same medical LIS software platform. Labs can scale their operations and unlock new features without the disruption of switching to a different lab information system. They simply move to a higher licensing tier.

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Professional Tier Modules and Features

Grossing Touchscreen

LigoLab's Grossing Touchscreen feature delivers a best-in-class experience for laboratory workflow management, combining precision, efficiency, and ease of use. Designed specifically for grossing technologists, the interface is intuitive, fully customizable, and built to streamline every step from specimen handling and protocol application to ordering additional blocks and stains and supporting just-in-time cassette printing.

Each specimen is automatically assigned a unique ID, ensuring accurate sample tracking and easy reference throughout its lifecycle. Staff can enable optional verification steps to strengthen specimen control and maintain a secure chain of custody.

Voice Control and Hands-Free Operation

The Grossing Touchscreen supports voice-control technology integration and pathology dictation software, enabling hands-free operation. Technologists can control the LIS system, view scanned requisitions, look up previous history, and input gross descriptions without ever having to touch the screen.

Restaurant-style ordering (with large buttons and shortcuts), combined with stylus support, provides users with added convenience during complex procedure entries, enabling detailed, accurate descriptions without obstruction.

These capabilities enable technologists to capture fragment counts, input gross descriptions, and capture macro images within the intuitive anatomical pathology software module. 

Discover More: A Closer Look at LigoLab’s Grossing Touchscreen Functionality 

Document Management 

The Document Management module is fully integrated into the LIS system and built to securely digitize, organize, and manage documents across the lab, promoting a paperless environment that enhances workflow efficiency, supports data integrity, and streamlines case handling.

Documents can be scanned right after order entry, which is especially valuable for anatomic pathology cases, as it quickly advances them to the grossing stage. For high-volume labs, the module also supports centralized batch scanning, enabling large numbers of documents to be processed and organized efficiently.

The module actively enhances clinical lab workflow by automatically attaching external reports to the appropriate cases and integrating them into final reports. It can also automatically send reports to ordering providers, speeding up communication and enhancing both customer service and patient care outcomes. 

Specimen Handling, Tracking, and Security

This module is a perfect example of efficiency tracking software that supports the highest standard of care for every specimen, from order entry to final disposition. At its core is an advanced lab sample management system solution that assigns a unique identifier to every specimen, ensuring precise identification and full traceability throughout accessioning, testing, racking, storage, and final disposal.

Real-Time Tracking and Access Controls

With real-time location tracking, the lab information system gives staff immediate visibility into the status and location of every specimen, reducing search time and minimizing errors. The LIS system logs all handling activities, including who accessed the specimen, when, and any associated notes.

Strict access controls allow only authorized personnel to handle specimens and securely record every access event. The module also generates automated alerts based on predefined retention timelines to ensure proper specimen disposal in line with regulatory standards.

Discover More: How LigoLab is Helping Labs Optimize Specimen Storage and Retrieval

Synoptic Reports

​​LigoLab's integrated College of American Pathologists (CAP) Synoptic Reports module elevates pathology lab reporting software by aligning with CAP protocols, internationally recognized as best practices for reporting specific cancer types.

The module facilitates structured, comprehensive, and uniform reporting of cancer pathology findings. It uses CAP electronic Cancer Checklists (eCC), empowering pathologists to enter data directly into predefined fields, reducing the risk of omissions and improving data accuracy.

The module delivers real-time updates and automatically integrates the latest CAP protocol versions twice a year, keeping labs aligned with current standards of care and ensuring compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements. LigoLab includes it at no extra cost as part of the Professional Tier.

On-Demand Webinar: How Standardization and Enhanced Reporting Capabilities Improve Lab Workflow and Overall Business Operations

Digital Pathology

Advanced Digital Pathology solutions integrated into LigoLab's anatomic pathology LIS workflows demonstrate how modern pathology software can drastically improve diagnostic efficiency and accuracy in the lab.

LigoLab's platform is agnostic to whole-slide image management systems, making it compatible with various imaging technologies without compromising LIS system integration. When a pathologist is ready to review a case, the lab information system automatically launches the appropriate viewer in single sign-on mode, directing the pathologist straight to the relevant case and digital slides within the unified LigoLab environment.

Field-of-view images and analytical data, including annotations, measurements, and insights, flow directly back into the LigoLab platform, automatically saved within the pathology lab reporting software module, and immediately available for final review and sign-out.

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Quality Control

The Quality Control module supports the highest clinical laboratory workflow operations and regulatory requirements. It systematically tracks, monitors, and analyzes various aspects of lab workflow to ensure the consistent delivery of accurate, reliable results.

Performance Monitoring and Statistical Tools

The QC module enables users to establish rules for each test and monitor QC outcomes against Total Error Allowable and Biological Variance. Interactive, real-time data charts deliver a clear visual overview of laboratory performance, making it easy to spot trends and detect deviations as they emerge.

The module supports Westgard Rules, Levey-Jennings Charts, and other statistical process control tools. It flags samples that fail to meet criteria during the preanalytical phase, highlights errors during the analytical phase, and supports compliance with CAP and CLIA by generating detailed, compliant reports archived for future audits and inspections.

Discover More: A Detailed Look at How Modern Laboratory Information Systems Fully Support Quality Control

Statistical Reports

The Statistical Reports module provides an expansive library of customizable report templates, enabling labs to analyze their data from multiple perspectives and to promote informed decision-making, efficiency, and performance improvements.

Report types span all aspects of laboratory operation, including performance metrics, QC Control Reports, Test Utilization, and Operational and Productivity Reports. Staff can export all reports in CSV, Excel, PDF, and other formats.

CAP and CLIA Compliance Reporting

The module generates ready-to-use reports that support compliance with both CAP and CLIA regulations, covering proficiency testing, personnel competency, equipment calibration and maintenance, and quality control. Reports are regularly updated to reflect the latest regulatory requirements, ensuring that lab managers always have access to the most up-to-date compliance documentation.

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

Provider Portal

LigoLab's Provider Portal is a secure, web-based LIS software application that enhances communication and collaboration between the lab and its ordering providers. Key capabilities include:

• Order Submission: Providers and office staff submit orders online, eliminating paper requisitions while capturing patient demographics, clinical history, and specific tests required.
• Order Tracking: Providers track order progress in real time, so you know exactly when to expect results.
• Courier Manifests: The portal generates courier manifests to streamline daily specimen pickup management, reducing errors and missed pickups.
• Report Retrieval: Staff upload lab reports to the portal upon completion and notify providers so they can access, download, or print them at their convenience.
• Messaging Feature: The portal enables the lab to send important notifications and messages directly to providers within the platform.

Discover More: LigoLab’s Provider Portal Facilitates Faster Order Processing and Improved Turnaround Times

Integrated Cloud Faxing

The Integrated Cloud Faxing module modernizes lab communications by eliminating traditional fax machines and separate fax software. Staff can automatically dispatch reports and documents based on provider preferences or send them manually, all within a seamless, user-friendly workflow. The module is fully HIPAA-compliant and maintains a complete digital log of all fax activity for easy tracking and management.

Included at no extra cost in LigoLab's Professional Tier, the Integrated Cloud Faxing module enhances efficiency and security while streamlining one of the most common communication tasks in the lab.

LigoLab: Lab Vendors Dedicated to Delivering the Best LIS Software

LigoLab wants what's best for its laboratory partners. That's why the LIS company engineered what many consider the best LIS software, a comprehensive, agile laboratory information system platform that evolves as your laboratory grows, supported by tiered pricing options.

The Professional Tier is one of four flexible pricing options offered by LigoLab, enabling customers to choose the LIS software package that best aligns with their needs and empowering them to grow their lab operations quickly, efficiently, and with confidence.

The Professional Tier includes all the modules and features in the Essential Tier, advanced capabilities, and LigoLab's award-winning service and support.

Ready to take the next step toward a modern medical laboratory information system and a more efficient and advanced laboratory workflow? Contact LigoLab today to learn more about the Professional Tier.

Don’t Wait: Speak with a LigoLab Product Specialist!

Frequently Asked Questions About LigoLab's Professional Tier

What is LigoLab's Professional Tier?

The Professional Tier is LigoLab's second-tier laboratory information system solution, designed for established and growing laboratories that need more sophisticated workflow management, connectivity, and operational intelligence than the Essential Tier provides. It includes all Essential Tier modules plus Grossing Touchscreen, Document Management, Specimen Tracking, Synoptic Reports, Digital Pathology, Quality Control, Statistical Reports, Provider Portal, and Integrated Cloud Faxing.

What is the difference between the Essential and Professional Tiers?

The Essential Tier covers core laboratory information system functions such as order entry, label generation, grossing, histology, cytology, molecular, microbiology, clinical lab, result entry, audit trail, reporting, and standard support. The Professional Tier builds on all of these. It adds more advanced capabilities, including touchscreen grossing with voice control, digital pathology integration, synoptic reporting, quality control monitoring, a provider-facing web portal, and integrated cloud faxing.

Can a lab upgrade from the Professional Tier without switching LIS systems?

Yes. Upgrading from the Professional Tier to the Advanced or Enterprise Tier requires no lab information system change; labs simply move to a higher licensing tier within the same LigoLab platform. It eliminates the cost and disruption of reimplementing a different laboratory information system as the lab grows.

What is the Grossing Touchscreen, and what makes it unique?

The Grossing Touchscreen is a touchscreen-based interface designed specifically for grossing technologists. It supports voice control and hands-free operation using pathology dictation software, restaurant-style ordering shortcuts for fast data entry, macro image capture, fragment count documentation, and customizable workflows. 

What are Synoptic Reports, and why do they matter?

Synoptic Reports are structured, standardized reports for documenting cancer pathology findings in alignment with the College of American Pathologists protocols. LigoLab's module uses CAP electronic Cancer Checklists to ensure that staff complete all critical data fields accurately, thereby reducing the risk of omissions, supporting accreditation compliance, and improving data quality for research and analysis. The module updates automatically with the latest CAP protocol versions twice a year.

How does LigoLab's Digital Pathology integration work?

LigoLab's platform is agnostic to image management system (IMS) software, meaning it integrates with any compatible imaging technology. When a pathologist opens a case, the LIS system automatically launches the appropriate viewer in single sign-on mode. Annotations, measurements, and analytical data flow directly back into the LigoLab platform and are saved within the reporting module, ready for final review and sign-out without switching between systems.

What compliance standards does the Statistical Reports module support?

The Statistical Reports module generates inspection-ready reports for both CAP and CLIA compliance, covering proficiency testing, personnel competency, equipment calibration, quality control statistics, and personnel qualifications. Staff regularly update reports to reflect the latest regulatory requirements, and users can export them in CSV, Excel, and PDF formats.

Is Integrated Cloud Faxing included in the Professional Tier at no extra cost?

Yes. The Professional Tier includes Integrated Cloud Faxing at no additional charge. It replaces traditional fax machines with a fully HIPAA-compliant digital faxing workflow built directly into the LIS system, supporting automatic or manual dispatch of reports and documents with a complete digital log of all fax activity.