Case Study
Remembering COVID: A Medical Lab’s Journey to One Million COVID-19 Tests
February 4, 2026
Editor’s Note: On May 11, 2023, the World Health Organization officially declared the end of the global COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. While much of the world has moved forward, those in healthcare, particularly within the laboratory information system (LIS software) industry and clinical/pathology lab management, continue to reflect on the lessons learned during those extraordinary times to better prepare for future infectious disease threats.
Discover More: End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration
At LigoLab, supporting our laboratory partners throughout the pandemic was a top priority. We stayed closely attuned to their evolving challenges and responded with innovative LIS system software solutions designed to meet the moment. Whether it was rapidly optimizing clinical lab workflow or ensuring the safety of patients and providers, our work was rooted in collaboration and a shared commitment to public health.
One of the most impactful aspects of this period was witnessing and documenting the resilience of our partners on the frontlines. As we look back on these defining moments, we remain inspired by the dedication and adaptability of the best LIS software vendors and broader laboratory communities.
With that spirit in mind, we invite you to reflect on COVID-19’s impact and revisit this LigoLab case study, first published in 2020.
Get Insight: Best LIS Software - Maximize Growth With Cutting-Edge Pathology Lab Management Software
Lab’s Strategic Partnership with TestDirectly Boosts Testing Capacity and Efficiency
As COVID-19 cases surged again in the fall of 2020, the need for faster, more reliable testing returned to a critical level for a large direct-to-consumer lab testing organization aligned with the Illinois Department of Health.
What follows is a case study detailing how this organization dramatically improved operational efficiency and reduced test turnaround times in the wake of the initial coronavirus outbreak in spring 2020.
The story highlights how the lab leveraged modern medical laboratory information system (LIS) software in combination with the TestDirectly direct-to-consumer lab testing platform to build a fully digital, end-to-end workflow, ultimately scaling testing capacity to 15,000 specimens per day.
From patient demographic capture and appointment scheduling to specimen collection, laboratory processing, results delivery (consumer lab reports via email, SMS, or portal), laboratory billing, and follow-up, TestDirectly supported every step of the testing lifecycle. In doing so, it eliminated patient-specific bottlenecks such as paper requisitions and labor-intensive manual processes.
The impact was significant. Through its partnership with TestDirectly, the laboratory reached the one-million COVID-19 tests milestone in just eight months.
What follows is a recap of the journey that made that achievement possible.
Get Insight: Highlighting the Versatility of the TestDirectly Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal
Milestone Moment: Illinois Lab Surpasses One Million COVID-19 Tests with Scalable Molecular LIS and Strategic Vision
November 19 was a milestone day, a bright moment in an otherwise dark winter. That’s the day a prominent all-purpose lab based in Illinois processed and reported its one millionth SARS-CoV-2 case.
That’s one million COVID-19 tests since April 2020. Quite an accomplishment for a practice that quickly pivoted and added molecular lab testing software to its growing histopathology business just as the first wave of the pandemic hit the state.
Credit the lab’s CEO for recognizing the need to act quickly and having the vision to invest in and build a scalable operation that hospitals, long-term care facilities, and government agencies continue to rely on as a massive second wave surges through the state.
Discover More: Molecular Labs Hold the Key to Evidence-Based Precision Medicine
A Unified LIS System Foundation That Enabled Rapid Molecular Scale-Up
The laboratory has relied on LigoLab as its trusted partner for its laboratory information system/molecular laboratory software needs for nearly two years. As an enterprise-grade laboratory information system provider, LigoLab supports both the lab’s technical workflows and its financial operations through a single, unified informatics platform.
The LigoLab platform brings together embedded modules for anatomic pathology, clinical laboratory operations, molecular diagnostics, laboratory revenue cycle management (lab RCM), and direct-to-consumer testing. All laboratory information system functions operate on one cohesive LIS software infrastructure, eliminating data silos and enabling the laboratory billing cycle to begin at the order level.
By April, the laboratory already had a critical foundation in place. The molecular diagnostics module served as the backbone for building out its molecular testing workflow. From there, lab leadership rapidly deployed the necessary instrumentation, including particle extraction platforms, biosafety hoods, liquid handling systems, and real-time PCR equipment, enabling testing operations to come online shortly thereafter.
Get Insight: Maximizing Your Lab’s Profitability - The Case for In-House Lab Billing
Scaling for Demand: The Roles of TestDirectly and Strategic Investment
As the need for testing has grown over the last several months, the testing capacity at the molecular LIS lab has also steadily increased to meet the demand.
This can be attributed to the lab’s willingness to invest in advanced instrumentation and its use of the innovative TestDirectly direct-to-consumer lab testing portal, the newest addition to the LigoLab platform, which helps labs eliminate bottlenecks and friction they typically face to expedite results time.
Add to that a well-earned reputation for providing high-quality test results without sacrificing test turnaround times, and it's easy to see why an agency like the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) would choose this lab as a testing partner.
“The State of Illinois relies heavily on us for testing. They keep sending us more samples,” said the CEO, who estimated 75 percent of the current workload comes from drive-through or mobile testing sites. “They’ve also been extremely impressed with our TestDirectly results time.”
At present, the lab is processing specimens from 10 testing sites (eight drive-throughs and two mobile sites) run by the health department. Of these 10 sites, six are using TestDirectly and TestDirectly.com for their COVID-19 collection, testing, and consumer lab reports workflow.
Discover More: Learn How TestDirectly Helped DuPage County Create a More Efficient Drive-Through With Faster Test Results
TestDirectly: A Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing Portal That Digitizes Workflows, Boosts Capacity, and Accelerates Turnaround Times
TestDirectly is a web-based direct-to-consumer lab testing portal that seamlessly integrates with laboratory information system (LIS) software. It replaces paper requisitions and labor-intensive manual processes with a fully digital clinical lab workflow, expanding testing capacity and accelerating turnaround times.
TestDirectly enables laboratories to operate as true direct-to-consumer labs accessible anytime, anywhere, on any device. The platform supports the complete lifecycle of both the case and the specimen, including patient self-registration and appointment scheduling; specimen collection across multiple models (drive-through, walk-up, employer testing, at-home testing, and more); laboratory processing; consumer lab reports results delivery; and laboratory billing operations.
“Our biggest challenge is the intake bottleneck,” said the laboratory’s CEO, a strong advocate for the Illinois Department of Public Health to adopt TestDirectly across all drive-through and mobile testing sites. “Once samples reach processing more quickly, our staff and equipment can handle the volume without delaying turnaround times.”
“The errors and lack of fluidity become real barriers without the LigoLab platform and TestDirectly,” the CEO continued. “By eliminating the need to interface with four separate laboratory software systems across the state, we reduce friction and risk. We all know data transfer doesn’t work perfectly every time, and this approach dramatically improves reliability.”
Clinical Leadership Insight: Overcoming Scale and Supply Constraints
The lab’s medical director reinforced these points by offering an inside look at the realities of managing daily operations at a testing capacity of 15,000 specimens per day.
“There are constant battles that everybody faces, reagent shortages, consumable shortages, personnel shortages,” said the former Chief Virologist for the Illinois Department of Public Health. “That said, we have an excellent staff making real strides to increase our testing capacity.”
Since joining the lab in September, the medical director helped guide a rapid expansion that effectively doubled testing capacity. The lab added four additional particle extraction platforms and three new real-time PCR systems, bringing the total to eight real-time PCR instruments, each capable of processing 384 specimens in under 90 minutes.
Crucially, those systems now operate continuously, 24/7, without delay. According to the medical director, that level of throughput would not be possible without TestDirectly, which eliminated the accessioning bottleneck.
“Having patients preregister and enter their demographic information ahead of time has been essential to this entire process,” the doctor explained. “When the patient arrives at the mobile testing site, all of that information is already in the system. At that point, it’s simply linking the specimen to the patient, applying a barcode, and moving on.”
Eliminating Accessioning Bottlenecks Through a Fully Digital Lab Workflow
Historically, accessioning relied on paper requisitions or patient-completed forms at the point of collection, followed by manual data entry into the laboratory information system. At scale, this approach is slow, error-prone, and unsustainable.
With TestDirectly supporting the organization’s direct-to-consumer lab testing model, accessioning is entirely digital. Barcodes are scanned at collection, patient information is verified directly within the lab information system, and specimens are transferred straight to the testing laboratory, without paper, rekeying, or delay.
“If we had 15,000 paper requisitions, it would be impossible to maintain our turnaround times at that volume,” said the medical director. “TestDirectly has worked flawlessly, and the fact that it integrates directly with our laboratory information system software has saved countless hours.” He also emphasized the value of giving patients secure online access to their results, which significantly reduced administrative workload on the back end.
Reaching one million COVID-19 tests in just eight months is an extraordinary milestone, but for this lab, celebration remains secondary to the mission.
“I think the battle is just beginning,” the CEO concluded. “We’re still facing several more months before there’s any real solution.”
On-Demand Webinar: Learn How to Expand Your Lab’s Services and Add Revenue with Direct-to-Consumer Lab Testing
Unite Your LIS System & Lab RCM Workflows and Revolutionize Your Business
The LigoLab Medical LIS & Lab RCM Informatics Platform is a fully integrated laboratory information system that supports innovative laboratory billing solutions with its embedded lab revenue cycle management module. The platform connects every laboratory department with a united pathology software infrastructure that transforms operations.
Unlike traditional lab RCM solutions, LigoLab begins the laboratory billing process at the order level with verification and scrubbing components shared by the medical LIS and lab billing modules. The platform also features advanced automation and a seamless laboratory workflow management designed to increase operational efficiency, transparency, revenue, and profit.
Learn more about LigoLab and its highly customizable molecular lab software solutions for LIS system workflow and direct-to-consumer lab testing by contacting a product specialist.
