Laboratory medicine has become more complex over the past decade, and with it, laboratory interoperability challenges have grown.
Testing is becoming more specialised. New diagnostic techniques are emerging. Many laboratories are modernising their laboratory equipment and services across the country to meet the growing demand.
As a result, hospitals are increasingly working together. A local laboratory may perform the majority of its testing in-house while referring specialist requests to reference laboratories for virology, molecular diagnostics or other complex investigations.
That collaboration is essential to delivering timely, high-quality patient care.
It also depends on something that’s often overlooked: the ability for different Laboratory Information Systems to safely and effectively communicate with one another.
Not Every Laboratory Uses the Same System
Healthcare organisations have invested in Laboratory Information Systems that support their own workflows, instruments and reporting requirements.
The result is a diverse technology landscape.
Different vendors, different versions, different message formats, and different ways of recording the same information. From Sunquest to Clinisys to Apex, MedLIS Cerner & beyond, we’ve seen them all! DMF has integrations with all the LIS vendors in Ireland, placing it in the unique position as highly specialised in complex integration.
Although standards such as HL7v2 and FHIR provide a common framework, every implementation is slightly different. Two laboratories may both support HL7v2 while still requiring significant translation before information can be exchanged successfully. Not to mention the discrepancy between two vendor identical Laboratory Information Systems!
That’s why laboratory interoperability is rarely as simple as connecting one system to another. The real work happens behind the scenes.
Information has to be validated. Messages need to be translated. Patient identifiers, test codes and result formats all need to arrive exactly as the receiving system expects. This is not simply moving data from one folder to another.
Manual Processes Still Create Unnecessary Work
Where systems aren’t integrated, and in many labs they are not, people fill the gap.
- A request form accompanies the sample.
- Patient information is manually entered into the referral laboratory’s booking system or LIS.
- Results are manually transferred back to the requesting laboratory by post.
For decades, these processes have helped laboratories work together.
But there are many issues with this approach. It’s time-consuming. Every manual step introduces another opportunity for delay or error. Patient details can be entered incorrectly. Request information may be incomplete. Results may need to be manually entered or sent via post before they become available to clinicians which can have profound delays on urgent care.
Laboratory professionals work in highly regulated environments where accuracy is critical. They already manage increasing workloads while meeting demanding turnaround times. Removing unnecessary administration allows them to focus on the work that only they can do.
Better Integration Supports Better Laboratory Services
This is where secure laboratory interoperability is key.
DMF Systems’ LIS2LIS solution enables Laboratory Information Systems to securely exchange laboratory orders/requests and results electronically through MediBRIDGE.
Rather than relying on paper requests or manual transcription, referral information is securely transferred, translated into the receiving laboratory’s format and delivered automatically. Once testing has been completed, results are returned through the same secure pathway before being incorporated into the originating Laboratory Information System. Results are also available to authorised users via LRRv4 from any web enabled device.
What LIS2LIS is doing behind the scenes
From a user’s perspective, the process is simple. A laboratory sends a referral request electronically and receives the results back into its own Laboratory Information System.
Behind the scenes, however, there’s considerably more happening.
LIS2LIS uses MediBRIDGE as the secure communication channel, ensuring requests and results are exchanged safely between organisations. As each message passes through the platform, it is encrypted, validated, transformed and mapped to match the requirements of the receiving system.
That translation is essential because two laboratories rarely configure their Laboratory Information Systems in exactly the same way. Test codes, patient demographics, result structures and message formats can all differ greatly. Without that mapping, information may not be accepted by the receiving system or may require manual intervention before it can be processed.
By handling that complexity automatically, LIS2LIS allows each laboratory to continue using its existing systems and workflows while securely exchanging information electronically with other organisations.
The result is a referral process that is faster, more reliable and easier to manage. Each laboratory continues using its existing system, so established workflows remain unchanged.
This is particularly valuable for laboratories working with multiple referral partners. Instead of maintaining different manual processes for different organisations, laboratories have a consistent, secure method of exchanging requests and results. As referral volumes grow, that consistency becomes increasingly important for maintaining turnaround times and data quality.
For laboratory staff, the process is simpler. For clinicians, results become available more quickly. And for patients, unnecessary delays are reduced.
Supporting National Laboratory Services
DMF Systems has delivered healthcare integration projects across Ireland for almost thirty years. During that time, we’ve connected hospitals, laboratories, diagnostic platforms and national healthcare systems, helping organisations exchange information securely across a wide range of clinical environments.
One example is our work with the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL).
The NVRL receives referrals from hospitals across Ireland, making secure and reliable interoperability critical. Electronic requesting ensures referral information reaches the laboratory quickly and accurately, while electronic reporting returns results directly to the requesting laboratory without the delays associated with paper-based processes or manual data entry.
Using LIS2LIS, referring laboratories can securely send electronic requests directly to the NVRL through MediBRIDGE. As each request passes through the platform, it is validated, translated and mapped to match the requirements of the receiving Laboratory Information System. Once testing has been completed, results follow the same secure pathway back to the referring laboratory, where they are automatically incorporated into the originating Laboratory Information System.
Each organisation continues using its existing Laboratory Information System and established workflows. LIS2LIS handles the complexity of exchanging information between different systems, allowing laboratories to communicate electronically without changing the way they work.
The process removes hand-written referrals, eliminates the need to manually re-enter requests and results, and provides a consistent, secure method for exchanging laboratory information.
For laboratories processing large numbers of referrals every day, that represents a significant improvement in efficiency, data quality and turnaround times.
Integration Is Rarely Straightforward
Healthcare integration has never been about connecting two systems with a single interface.
Building successful integrations means understanding those differences and ensuring each organisation can continue working optimally while information moves securely between systems.
That’s been the focus of DMF Systems since our launch.
Whether integrating laboratory systems, electronic health records, diagnostic platforms or national healthcare infrastructure, we’ve built our reputation on solving complex interoperability challenges.
The Future of Laboratory Interoperability
What has always stood out to us from our work with medical scientists over the years is the emphasis they put on supporting optimal patient care. There is no doubt that medical scientists are acutely aware that behind each specimen is a patient and as such they strive to deliver the optimum care to ensure the best outcomes for each patient.
Laboratory networks will continue to grow. Specialist testing will continue to increase. Healthcare providers will continue to rely on information flowing quickly and securely between organisations.
Good interoperability makes all that possible.
When referral requests move electronically, results are returned automatically and laboratory staff no longer have to spend time bridging gaps between systems, everyone benefits.
Clinicians receive information sooner, laboratory scientists spend less time on administration, and patients receive faster access to the information that supports diagnosis and treatment.
Technology will never replace the expertise within our laboratories nor should it. It should simply make it easier for that expertise to focus on the important steps from when the sample arrives at the specimen reception to when the test(s) is completed so that they can deliver the best possible outcomes for patients.
