Written by Chauncey Jude S. Cuyacot

Edited and Reviewed by Reuben J C. Los Baños, Ph.D.

Before you begin in looking at a new software, the first and most crucial step in selecting a Laboratory Information System (LIS) is to thoroughly assess what your lab really needs.

Imagine a lab where a laboratorian struggle with a slow, outdated system, where it can’t even share diagnostic images. The lab’s turnaround time for high-volume tests is suffering, and management should know that a change is needed. To avoid simply replacing a set of problems with another, the lab must first understand its facing challenges and even future goals.

This assessment is done through three key methods:

• Audits and Standardized Assessments

A structured approach using checklists and questionnaires to evaluate the lab against established standards.

This helps indentify specific gaps in documentation and security, providing an objective view of where the current system might fall short.

• Performance Data Analysis

This method uses objective, quantitative data to reveal areas of inefficiency. By analyzing metrics like turnaround time and test volume, a lab can pinpoint bottlenecks.

• Direct Observation and Staff Interviews

This qualitative approach involves gathering insights from the people who work in the lab every day.

By bringing together lab technicians, IT specialists, pathologists, and administrators, you can uncover firsthand challenges and expectations.

This collective input ensures the new LIS will meet the diverse needs of all users.

Once you have all that information, your next step is to make a definitive list of needed or even optional suggested features.

Think of the needed features as your “must-haves”, the non-negotiable items your lab simply can’t run safely or legally without.

The optional features are the “nice-to-haves” that can make your work easier or more automated, but you could get by without them for a while.

Creating this list is crucial, as it keeps you from buying a system that, down the road, turns out to be a bad fit.

Skipping the first step often results in frustration later. You might realize too late that the system you picked doesn’t integrate with your analyzers or does not support batch processing.

A comprehensive assessment at the beginning not only protects your investment but ensures a better implementation experience.

What is the purpose of the Laboratory Information System?

The main purpose of LIS is to make your day-to-day laboratory operations more organized, efficient, and accurate.

When you handle dozens or even hundreds of test samples daily, things can get overwhelming without a system that keeps everything in order. That’s where the LIS steps in, where it helps you manage every step of the testing process from the start to finish, ensuring you that nothing is misplaced and delayed.

With this, you can easily register and track every test order that comes in. Once a sample is collected, the system helps you label it with a barcode, keep track of where it is, and make sure it gets analyzed correctly.

After the machine processes the sample, it captures and organizes the results, flags any unusual findings, and stores the data securely. Once everything has been reviewed and validated, the final results are delivered directly to the physician or hospital, reducing wait times and human error.

But the LIS isn’t just about convenience. It is also a critical tool for keeping your lab in compliance with healthcare standards and legal regulations.

Most modern LIS platforms are designed to meet the requirements of major regulatory bodies like the College of American Pathologists (CAP). These regulations often require detailed documentation, error tracking, and strict access controls, and your LIS handles all of these behind the scenes.

If your lab didn’t have an LIS, you’d be stuck using outdated methods like paper forms, manual logs, and endless data entry.

Not only does that waste valuable time, but it also increases the risk of losing data, mixing up samples, or delaying treatment decisions. These small errors can have major consequences.

What are the Major Components of a computer-based Laboratory Information System?

A computer-based LIS is a complex software platform that acts as the central nervous system for a laboratory.

It automates and manages the entire lifecycle of a patient sample, from the moment a test is ordered to the final report being delivered.

For a lab to run smoothly, it relies on several major components working together seamlessly.

The functional heart of an LIS is made up of several key modules that handle the daily workflow and these are the following:

• Order Entry

This is where the process begins. This component allows doctors or lab staff to enter test requests.

Whether the orders are encoded manually or sent electronically from a hospital’s patient record system, the LIS ensures each request is accurate.

It then creates a unique identifier, often a barcode, to connect the sample to the right patient and tests, preventing mix-ups.

• Specimen Tracking and Workflow

Think of this as the lab’s air traffic control.

This tracks every sample in real time as it moves through the lab. It knows where each sample is, who has handled it, and what step comes next.

This continuous tracking keeps a clear chain of safekeeping and helps avoid delays or misplaced samples, keeping the entire process efficient and safe.

• Instrument Integration

This component is all about automation.

The LIS connects directly to the lab’s testing machines and analyzers. It sends instructions to the machines and receives the test results back automatically.

This direct link eliminates the need for manual data entry, which drastically reduces errors and speeds up the entire testing process.

• Results Management 

Once the results are collected from the instruments, this takes over. It stores the data and applies quality control checks.

The system can flag any results that may seem abnormal or fall outside a normal range, holding them for a supervisor to review.

• Reporting

This is the final step where the information is shared.

Here, it generates comprehensive reports that are easy to read and understand. It can create paper reports, PDFs, or send the results directly to a physician’s electronic health record (EHR) system.

• Quality Control (QC) and Assurance

A strong LIS is built on a foundation of quality. This helps the lab carry out its quality standards in tracking daily checks, records, and instrument maintenance.

It automatically alerts staff to any quality issues, helping the lab maintain high standards and meet strict accreditation requirements.

All of these components are supported by a secure database, user access controls, and interfaces that allow the LIS to communicate with other systems like billing and patient portals.

In short, an LIS is a complete system designed to manage every detail, ensure accuracy, and keep a lab running smoothly from start to finish.

What are the Types of LIS?

Just as different labs do different work, there are different types of LIS platforms built for specific needs.

The type you choose depends on your lab’s function, the tests you run, and how you want to manage your data.

Types of LIS Based on What the Lab Does:

• Clinical LIS

This is the most common type. It’s used in hospitals and big labs for everyday tests like blood counts and cholesterol checks.

It’s made to handle a lot of samples quickly and share results easily with patient medical records.

• Anatomic Pathology LIS

This system is for labs that study tissues and cells, like from biopsies.

It has special features to track cases, manage images of tissue slides, and help doctors write their reports.

• Microbiology LIS

This type is for labs that look for germs and bacteria. It helps track cultures, figure out which antibiotics will work, and watch for disease outbreaks.

• Molecular Diagnostics LIS

This is for labs that do advance genetic and DNA testing.

It is built to handle large amounts of complex data from DNA sequencing and other high-tech tests.

• Blood Bank LIS

This is a very specialized system for labs, where it handles blood for transfusions. It has extra safety checks to make sure the right blood is given to the right patient.

• LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System)

While similar to an LIS, a LIMS is typically used in research or industrial labs, not for patient care. It helps manage experiments, track chemicals, and handle research data.

Types of LIS Based on How They’re Set Up:

• On-Premise

This is when the LIS software is installed on your lab’s own computers. You have full control, but you need your own IT team to manage and protect it.

• Cloud-Based (SaaS)

The LIS is hosted on the internet by the company that made it. You just log in online.

This is good for small labs because it costs less to start and the company handles all the updates and backups.

• Hybrid

This system uses a mix of both on-premise and cloud parts. It gives you some local control while still having the flexibility of the cloud.

Choosing the right LIS means thinking about what your lab does, how big it is, and how much your budget is. This choice is key to making sure your lab runs smoothly and can grow in the future.

What is a LIS dashboard?

Dashboard is the command center of your LIS. It gives you a live window into lab operations.

With a dashboard, you can instantly see how many samples are pending, how many are delayed, and which tests needs urgent attention.

You can customize it to show information that matters most to your role. This might include turnaround times or daily quality metrics.

With one glance, you know what is working and what needs immediate attention. It’s your lab’s real-time report card.

What is the LIS workflow process?

When you work with a LIS, you are not just using software, you are guiding a sample through its entire life inside the lab.

This full process is usually broken down into three main phases:

1. Pre-Analytical Phase

This is where everything begins. It starts the moment a physician or clinician orders a lab test. The LIS captures this request.

It then generates a unique barcode label for the patient’s sample. Once the sample is collected, you log it into the system and assign a tracking ID. This ID stays with the sample throughout its journey in the lab.

The LIS also monitor important details, like whether the sample was collected properly, if it was stored at the right temperature, and whether it reached the right department on time.

2. Analytical Phase

Once the sample reaches the testing station, the LIS connects with the lab’s instruments.

It receives raw test data straight from the machines and applies pre-set logic rules to make sense of the results.

If the values are within acceptable limits, the system validates them automatically. If something seems off, the LIS can flag it for review.

This is where the LIS really shows its strength, helping ensure that what comes out of the analyzer is reliable and properly handled.

3. Post-Analytical Phase

After the data has been reviewed and validated, the LIS finalizes the results.

It then routes those results to wherever they need to go. Whether its a printed report, an update in the EHR, or a direct alert to the ordering physician.

At this point, the LIS also creates a digital audit log that shows who ran the test, who reviewed it, and exactly when it was released.

The audit trail is extremely important, especially when dealing with legal reviews, audits, or accreditation checks.

By covering all three phases of the laboratory process, the LIS doesn’t just store data, it actively supports your lab’s productivity and safety.

It gives you peace of mind knowing that every sample is handled properly, every result is verified, and every step is documented.

When you work with laboratory information systems, you’re not just handling data—you’re helping improve patient outcomes.

Every click, barcode scan, or result entry contributes to something greater: clinical accuracy and trust.

What stands out most is how much teamwork goes into implementing LIS. No single person builds it alone. It is a shared effort between lab staff, IT, management, and vendors.

If you’re responsible for improving lab operations, an LIS isn’t just an upgrade. It is a core tool that supports healthcare at every level.

References:

Association of Public Health Laboratories. (2019). Laboratory Information Systems Project Implementation Guide. APHL. Retrieved from https://www.aphl.org

LigoLab Information Systems. (n.d.). What is a Laboratory Information System (LIS)? Retrieved from https://www.ligolab.com

LabWare. (2023). Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Guide. Retrieved from https://www.labware.com

Prolisphere. (n.d.). Types of LIS Systems. Retrieved from https://www.prolisphere.com

Westgard, J. O., & Darcy, T. (2004). The Laboratory Information System: Current and Future Applications. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, 24(4), 947–962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cll.2004.05.003

Orchard Software. (n.d.). Key Features of Laboratory Dashboards. Retrieved from https://www.orchardsoft.com

Association of Public Health Laboratories. (2019). Laboratory Information Systems Project Implementation Guide. Retrieved from https://www.aphl.org

College of American Pathologists. (2021). Guidelines for Laboratory Workflow. Retrieved from https://www.cap.org