OYALES, Therese C.
MT 14-LEC CC

Every healthcare organization needs a centralized system that collects, manages, and stores data. With a few clicks, all the necessary information (patient results, urgent testing requests, and patient medical history) becomes visible to the laboratory personnel. It can also double as a project management system that aims to make workflow faster and more efficient. These are features that describe a laboratory information system.

A laboratory information system is a software application that improves the quality of service given to a patient. Unlike sorting data, LIS does not lose or misplace files. It acts the role of a middleman that manages between processes. The likelihood of errors also diminishes due to no human errors occurring.

Time is crucial in the healthcare sector. LIS saves time because there is no need to travel from one hospital department to another. It receives testing requests, arranges the patient and specimen details, and returns the results once the RMTs finish testing.

Misplacing the test results or matching the incorrect sample with the patient can lead to fatal consequences. Since LIS is a structured system, there is no need to worry about these types of mistakes. It is also easier to track the mistake because it can only the lab personnel can commit it.

LIS makes managing resources much easier. The tabular design makes keeping track of resources no trouble at all. Lab technician
can replace reagents, maintain machines on time, and do inventory checks.

The three major components of the LIS are sample tracking, protocol execution, and storage organization. Laboratory professionals often deal with hazardous bioagents; thus, sample tracking is significant. LIS tracks a sample from its collection stage to when it reaches the clinical laboratory to its processing stage. It includes the date of collection, patient information, and the volume of the sample. Sample tracking is useful for quality control as lab professionals can check at what stage could it have been contaminated.

Protocol execution guarantees the safety of the RMTs and the quality of the sample. It provides the measures and procedures laboratory personnel must take to ensure that the specimen is handled properly. Because of the nature of the work, the results must be accurate, and standard protocols must be followed.

Storage organizations allow easy access to the specimen when it is needed. The change in the state of the patient can take a few minutes to decades; thus, the storage of their samples must be organized. It is easier to act on a control measure when samples are located.

A laboratory information management system works as an organizational graph and a search tool. It gives you an overview of the entire system and allows you to find specific information as quickly as possible to proceed with your work. When the system adds data, it creates a file and categorizes it. The information is then updated each step of the way. Its interface design should be navigated.

Overall, LIS is designed to improve patient satisfaction by providing quality service. RMTs should focus on the safety of the patients by ensuring that correct information is disseminated to the right people.

References:
Third Wave Analytics. (2023, July 28). What is a LIMS and What are They Used for? Retrieved from https://thirdwaveanalytics.com/blog/what-does-a-lims-do/#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20Core%20Components,paper%20and%20a%20massive%20spreadsheet.

What is a LIMS? (2023, August 2). CloudLIMS Empowering Labs. Retrieved from https://cloudlims.com/what-is-a-lims/#:~:text=As%20a%20sample%20is%20introduced,to%20maintain%20the%20audit%20trail.
What is LIS Software? (n.d). Orchard Software. Retrieved from https://www.orchardsoft.com/resources/learn-about-lis/#:~:text=An%20LIS%20is%20a%20software,to%20an%20EHR%2C%20practice%20management