LIS to EMR integration addresses a significant challenge faced by healthcare providers when it comes to processing electronic lab orders and results. While many physicians have adopted EMRs, some still lack the facility to order a test from a patient’s chart directly. Others who have a lab interface in their EHR find it challenging to use it because the vendor has to create a custom point-to-point interface for their lab orders.
Custom interface development comes with additional costs, time, and training, which were not in the initial EHR budget and can disrupt standard workflow during implementation. And this is not a permanent solution. If your practice or hospital has to change labs for any reason, you will need to pay another new lab interface fee.
What Is the Solution to the LIS to EMR Integration Problem?
One of the best ways to solve the lab to EMR integration problem is to invest in a lab interoperability module (LIM). This is a bi-directional interface engine that allows seamless connections between the physician’s office and the lab. Setting up a LIM eliminates the need to build point-to-point interfaces and creates a gateway for connecting all labs to the EMR.
With a LIM, clinicians can easily assign test orders to the most appropriate lab or radiology department at the click of a button.
The same interface engine also allows labs to send results and messages back to clinicians and exchange relevant patient information.
What Are the Main Benefits of LIS to EMR Integration?
A lab to EMR interoperability solution offers benefits to providers, physicians, lab operators, and patients. These include:
- Ability to send orders and track test results
- Substantial time savings when compared to manual or paper processing of orders
- Elimination of manual data entry into the lab’s LIS.
- The lab order may be used to print out labels for each specimen.
- Reduction of errors associated with manual processing of orders.
- Warning and alerts about duplicate test orders
- Secure and efficient transmission of patient orders.
- Test results come back electronically and are immediately stored in the EMR
- Lab results can be graphed over time since they are stored as discrete values
- Lab results can be used for patient population research
What Should You Request in Your Laboratory Interoperability Solution?
If you need to build a new lab interface for your organization, you need to ask your vendor or provider a few pertinent questions:
- What type of interface are we getting? Is it uni or bi-directional?
- How much does the interface cost? What is the total cost of ownership, including training costs?
- Is it a one time cost or a subscription-based cost?
- Will it work with a new EMR and new lab if we have to migrate in the future?
- Is it cloud-based or on-site?
- Will it be customizable by our in-house IT staff?
- How long will it take to develop and deploy it?
Before choosing a proposed solution, ask your vendor, developer, or consultant to show you a demo of the interface. This will help you see what it will look like in the future and raise any issues you may have with usability.
Contact Us Today to Learn More About LIS to EMR Integration
Call LifePoint Informatics at 877.522.8378 now to schedule a free demo of any of our lab integration solutions. For over 20 years, we have been providing solutions for organizations to boost productivity, efficiency, and profitability. We are fully prepared to provide better service for your organization.