What Lab Leaders Should Do Immediately After Receiving Notice Their LIS System is Sunsetting

Few things can cause more anxiety in a medical laboratory than learning that the laboratory information system (LIS software) that supports daily operations will be discontinued soon. For many organizations, these legacy LIS systems have been the backbone of their laboratory workflow management for years, capturing orders, tracking specimens, managing results, and supporting compliance.

The sunsetting of a trusted lab information system can feel like an abrupt and destabilizing development. After all, no one welcomes forced change. Yet, it also represents a turning point, an opportunity for labs to embrace modernization, unlock their potential, and position themselves for long-term success.

When legacy LIS systems disappear, labs are pushed toward digital transformation. And while that may initially be uncomfortable, modern medical LIS platforms offer advanced automation, real-time intelligence, and scalability that can deliver efficiency, profitability, and improved patient outcomes.

In short: the time to act is now.

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Why Immediate Action Matters

Labs that delay addressing a sunsetting laboratory information system risk falling behind. Lab vendor support for the old LIS system may dwindle quickly, making it difficult to resolve issues, maintain integrations, or comply with regulatory requirements. Staff morale and confidence can also suffer if there’s no clear plan for what comes next.

To avoid operational disruption, lab leadership should begin planning their LIS software transition immediately. 

Consider the following high-level timeline for replacing a legacy LIS system:

• 6 Months: Research and evaluate new LIS vendors (demos, references, testimonials).
• 3+ Months: Narrow the field, negotiate terms, and finalize agreements.
• 6 - 8 Months: Implementation and staff training.

For large and complex labs, especially in anatomic pathology, these projections may need to be increased by 30 - 40 percent.

This means that a comfortable, well-managed transition can take at least 15 - 18 months. Labs that wait until support ends will find themselves in a corner with limited options.

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Step 1: Establish a Transition Task Force

The first action leadership should take is to designate a transition task force responsible for evaluating options, setting timelines, and keeping all stakeholders informed.

This cross-functional team should include:

• Lab directors and managers for operational oversight.
• IT staff for infrastructure, integrations, and cybersecurity.
• Pathologists and clinicians to represent end-user workflows.
• Lab billing managers to ensure revenue cycle management alignment.
• Compliance officers to safeguard regulatory adherence.

By acting as the transition’s communication hub, the task force ensures clarity and helps minimize organizational uncertainty.

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Step 2: Map Your Current and Future State

Before engaging lab vendors, testing organizations must develop a clear understanding of their current operations and future goals. 

This involves:

1. Documenting current workflows (such as order entry, accessioning, reporting, laboratory billing, and QA processes).
2. Listing all integrations with electronic health records (EHRs), laboratory billing systems, middleware, and instruments.
3. Identifying pain points where delays, errors, or inefficiencies occur.
4. Envisioning the ideal state (such as automation goals, scalability needs, and user experience improvements).

This exercise highlights what must be preserved in a new LIS system and what can be improved, helping the lab avoid “lift and shift” thinking that simply recreates outdated workflows.

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Step 3: Set Realistic Timelines

Transitioning to a new LIS lab solution is one of the most complex projects a lab can undertake. 

Proper timing is critical.

• Start immediately. Waiting until support ends will force rushed decisions.
• Plan buffer time. Expect delays in contracting, data migration, and training.
• Sequence carefully. Consider phasing implementations by department if risk tolerance requires.

Timelines should also account for regulatory deadlines, payer contracts, and accreditation cycles, ensuring the lab doesn’t face critical inspections mid-implementation.

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Step 4: Engage with Modern LIS Software Vendors

The phasing out of a legacy LIS system opens the door to evaluating the capabilities of modern laboratory information system vendors. 

When researching, labs should focus on three critical evaluation areas:

1. Innovative Features

Does the LIS system:

• Integrate seamlessly with the latest digital pathology solutions and molecular workflows?
• Offer AI-driven analytics to detect errors and guide decisions?
• Support advanced automation that reduces manual touches?
• Provide dashboards, real-time alerts, and remote accessibility?

2. Customization and Flexibility

Every lab has unique workflows. The new LIS system should:

• Be configurable to fit those workflows without expensive (and time-consuming) custom coding.
• Scale easily as test volumes and service lines expand.
• Offer multi-department support (clinical, pathology, molecular, microbiology, genomics, etc.).

3. Support and Partnership

A modern medical LIS is more than a software purchase; it’s a long-term partnership. 

Evaluate:

• Responsiveness of support teams.
• Commitment to ongoing training and optimization.
• References from other labs that have transitioned successfully.

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Step 5: Prioritize Data Migration Early

Data migration is often underestimated, yet it is one of the most critical elements of a successful LIS system transition. Labs must ensure that historical results, patient records, and physician data transfer seamlessly to the new modern platform.

Best practices include:

• Three-phase migration: one before implementation, one at go-live, and one post-launch to capture straggler data.
• Data cleanup: remove duplicates, outdated templates, and corrupt records before migration.
• Testing and validation: verify migrated records for accuracy and completeness.

By starting early, labs avoid the burden of running two LIS systems in parallel for extended periods.

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Step 6: Build a Communication and Training Plan

A transition will only be successful if staff are prepared and confident. 

Leadership should:

• Communicate early and often. Share the rationale for the change and the roadmap ahead.
• Provide role-based training. Tailor sessions for pathologists, techs, accessioners, lab billing staff, and administrators.
• Use a mix of methods. Combine live training, recorded sessions, and hands-on labs.
• Offer ongoing support. Provide continuous support through refresher courses, open office hours, and quick-reference guides. 

Change fatigue is real, but by engaging LIS lab staff in the process and equipping them with the right tools, resistance can be transformed into enthusiasm.

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Step 7: Safeguard Compliance and Security

Modern LIS systems should provide stronger safeguards than legacy medical LIS solutions, but labs must verify:

• HIPAA compliance for all data flows.
• End-to-end encryption of data in transit and at rest.
• Role-based access controls to limit risk.
• Audit logs for traceability.
• Cloud hosting compliance with healthcare standards (SOC 2, HITRUST).

Security and compliance should be non-negotiable.

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Step 8: Test, Validate, and Optimize

Before going live, labs must conduct thorough testing:

• Unit testing of modules and workflows.
• Integration testing with EHRs, instruments, and laboratory billing systems.
• User acceptance testing (UAT) with real-world scenarios.
• Load testing to simulate high-volume days.

Go-live should be treated as the beginning, not the end. Continuous optimization ensures that the lab information system evolves with the lab’s needs.

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Step 9: Manage the Emotional Side of Change

A sunsetting diagnostic lab software is an emotional technical change, especially if pathologists and staff have spent decades with their legacy LIS system. For them, change may feel like a loss.

Leadership should acknowledge this reality while framing the transition as an opportunity:

• To reduce clicks and save time.
• To introduce voice dictation, automation, and intuitive interfaces.
• To empower staff with better tools that make their work easier and more rewarding.

By focusing on user benefits, labs can turn apprehension into momentum.

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Step 10: Learn from Industry Peers

Many labs are facing the same challenge. By connecting with peers through professional networks, associations, and conferences, lab leaders can:

• Gather best practices.
• Avoid pitfalls.
• Validate vendor claims with real-world experience.

Peer-to-peer insights are often more valuable than vendor marketing materials.

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Viewing the Sunset as a Sunrise

Although the announcement of a retiring laboratory information system may seem disruptive, it can also mark the beginning of a new chapter. For labs that plan proactively, it’s their chance to modernize, embrace automation, and enhance both operations and patient care.

The end of an era can be the beginning of something far better. A modern pathology lab software can unlock capabilities that legacy LIS systems could never deliver: AI-driven intelligence, cloud-based scalability, seamless integrations, and a user experience designed for today’s laboratory environment.

The labs that act decisively, plan carefully, and bring their staff along for the journey will emerge not only with a replacement LIS system but with a future-ready platform that empowers them for years to come.

Final Thoughts for Lab Leaders

If your lab has received notification that your LIS lab solution is being discontinued:

1. Act immediately - don’t wait for support to lapse.
2. Form a transition task force with cross-department representation.
3. Map your workflows and pain points to guide vendor evaluations.
4. Plan for a 12-18 month process from research to go-live.
5. Prioritize data migration and staff training to ensure continuity and no setbacks.
6. View this as an opportunity, not a disruption.

With the right approach, the sunsetting of your LIS system doesn’t have to be a crisis. It can be the catalyst that propels your lab into a new era of efficiency, profitability, and diagnostic excellence.