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A Laboratory information system (LIS) is a software solution used in healthcare laboratories to gather, process, store, and manage patient testing data. This system provides a framework for efficient and accurate laboratory testing and analysis of patient-specific samples and specimens. Laboratory technicians, managers, and staff use LIS software to automate workflows, data management, and regulatory needs inside the laboratory.

An LIS generally has three main components: Sample tracking, Protocol Implementation, and Managing Storage.
Firstly, Samples are the most essential element of a clinical laboratory and are tracked throughout the laboratory by the LIS using unique identifiers with the patient and sample’s details. Second, an LIS can enact protocols and procedures to improve the operational standards of a laboratory. It integrates with laboratory instruments and equipment to streamline processes by providing consistency to the workflow, distributing tasks to lab technicians for sample processing, maintaining quality control over testing protocols, and generating concise results to be distributed.
Lastly, an LIS can organize samples in storage by different categories and find suitable places to store each sample for easy access for future use.

There are also different LIS subsystems used in different areas of laboratories to streamline processes and automate workflows throughout the whole laboratory including: Clinical Laboratory Systems that handle a wide range of core testing data from clinical chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, toxicology, and other common clinical areas in which the LIS can interact with using complex instruments and other subsystems; Microbiology systems which provides workflow and data management for areas of Microbiology. It automates monitoring systems and administration instruments to determine effective treatments; Anatomic Pathology systems help deal with specific specimens and samples and provide transcripts, reviews, and analysis of diagnostic findings; Billing or Revenue Cycle Management Systems are responsible for issuing invoices, submitting claims, tracking reimbursements, and the financial businesses of the laboratory; And Blood Bank Systems which have two types that include the Blood Donor Center System that process, test, and distribute blood products and hospital blood transfusion services to match blood with patients.

A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is a very similar software system to LIS used in laboratory settings designed to efficiently manage and simplify various processes centered around clinical research and non-clinical laboratory procedures. It starts work by acquiring and storing essential data about a sample from the system and tracking its movement through different laboratory testing and experimentations. It records the processes the sample has undergone and continuously assesses for the consistency and accuracy of the sample’s data.

In conclusion, Laboratory Information Systems are a necessary part of modern-day laboratory activities by simplifying complex methods and ensuring the safety of patients through accurate handling of their sample’s data and information that leads up to the diagnosis and treatment of a patient. It encompasses many functions under different areas of the laboratory to enable its use by lab technicians and staff effectively.

Yang LY. (2007, December 1). Laboratory Information Systems (LIS). OHSU. Retrieved October 1, 2023
https://www.clinfowiki.org/wiki/index.php/Laboratory_Information_Systems_(LIS)

Shrestha A. (2022, August 31). Laboratory Information System (LIS). Microb Online. Retrieved October 1, 2023

Laboratory Information System (LIS)

What is a LIMS?. ( 2023, August 2). CloudLIMS. Retrieved October 1, 2023

What is a LIMS?