Editor's Note: This is an excerpted article that appeared in the May issue of CAP Today

Bringing LIS technology converts into the fold

May 2004
Feature Story

By Karen Southwick

Integration. Integration. Integration. When it comes to laboratory information technology, it's perhaps no surprise that this is the chief challenge for multiple-hospital health care systems.

Jane E. Carroll, operations director for LabNet of Ohio in Columbus, an administrative office that oversees laboratory work for 19 area hospitals, voices a typical plaint. "LabNet drives no compliance," she says. LabNet offers technology and support. Then it's a matter of marketing to the hospitals-all of whom have their own lab IT priorities-and persuading them to adopt the desired technologies.

Six integrated delivery network laboratories interviewed by CAP TODAY are all grappling with the general problem of how to move their member hospitals to either a common LIS or a common front end for accessing the LIS. And all are wrestling with the related problem of making online order entry a reality.

“LabNet handles the reference work for 19 hospitals in Ohio and has not sought to get all those hospitals to standardize on a single LIS,” Carroll says. “Rather, it has used Atlas LabWorks as a front-end portal to give a common look and feel across all hospitals.”

"We just went live in March with our nine sending hospitals," she says, who have about half a dozen LISs between them. We customize the interface to LabWork.” “Once that's accomplished, each hospital can view results through a terminal.”

LabWorks is intended to be the order entry product that supports clinics and hospitals requiring an on-site PC and practice management interface.

Carroll says LabNet of Ohio has gotten its member hospitals to obtain results online and use online order entry. In March, the system started using LabWorks

LabNet also will help the hospitals get LabWorks functioning for their outreach clients, an incentive to help them increase that business.

“Once LabWorks and the interface are installed, training takes only about 15 minutes,” Carroll reports.

Atlas Medical contact:
Paul Park
Atlas Medical Software
Tel: +1.818.340.7080
ppark@atlasmedical.com