Analyzer, State, and EMR Integrations with your LIS

As a laboratory, you rely on your LIS system to efficiently manage laboratory data and provide accurate results to healthcare providers. However, to fully optimize your laboratory operations, you need to integrate your LIS system with other healthcare technologies, such as analyzers, state reporting systems, and EMRs. These integrations can help you improve the quality of your laboratory data, streamline your laboratory workflows, and enhance your patient care outcomes.

In this article, we'll explore the benefits and requirements of integrating your LIS system with analyzers, state reporting systems, and EMRs. We'll also provide some tips on how to choose the right integration solution for your laboratory's needs.

Analyzer Integrations

Analyzer integrations allow your LIS system to communicate with your laboratory analyzers to automate the transfer of test results and reduce the risk of manual errors. This integration can also help you streamline your laboratory workflows and reduce turnaround times. Analyzers are devices used in medical laboratories to perform various tests on patient samples. These tests generate data that needs to be captured and stored in the LIS system. By integrating the analyzer with the LIS system, this data can be automatically captured and stored, reducing the need for manual data entry and improving data accuracy.

Analyzer integrations can be done in a few different ways, depending on the type of analyzer being used. Some analyzers have built-in software that allows them to communicate directly with the LIS system. In these cases, the integration may only require some configuration and testing to ensure that the data is being properly captured and stored in the LIS system.

For analyzers that do not have built-in software, an interface device may be required. This device acts as a bridge between the analyzer and the LIS system, translating the data generated by the analyzer into a format that the LIS system can understand. The interface device may also provide additional functionality, such as the ability to perform quality control checks on the data before it is stored in the LIS system.

To integrate your LIS system with your analyzers, you need to ensure that your LIS system is compatible with the analyzer's interface and that the integration solution supports the analyzer's communication protocol. The most common communication protocols used in analyzer integrations are ASTM, HL7, and LIS2-A.

ASTM is a standard communication protocol used in clinical laboratories to transmit laboratory test results from an analyzer to a computer system. ASTM is a binary protocol that allows for the efficient transmission of large amounts of data.

Health Level 7 is another communication protocol used in healthcare to exchange clinical and administrative data between different systems. HL7 is a text-based protocol that allows for more flexibility in data exchange but may require more processing power.

An example HL7 message in version 2.x format:

MSH|^~&|PROLIS||STATE||20220410120000||ORU^R01|MSGID12345|P|2.3| PID|1||PAT12345||Smith^John^Doe^^Mr.||19800101|M||C|123 Main St^^Anytown^CA^90210^USA||(310)555-1212|||S||PAT98765|123-45-6789| PV1|1||^^^STATE|||||||||||||||||||| ORC|RE||12345||CM||||20220409120000|L12345^STATE|||||||||| OBR|1|12345||98360^GLUCOSE, SERUM/PLASMA^L|||20220409120000|||||||20220409120000|||STATE||12345^SMITH^JOHN^D|||F|||||||F|||1234^PROLIS| OBX|1|NM|GLU^GLUCOSE^L||110|mg/dL|70-110|H|||F|||20220409120000|||1234^PROLIS||||||| OBX|2|NM|BUN^BLOOD UREA NITROGEN^L||10|mg/dL|6-20|N|||F|||20220409120000|||1234^PROLIS||||||| OBX|3|NM|CREA^CREATININE^L||1.1|mg/dL|0.7-1.3|N|||F|||20220409120000|||1234^PROLIS|||||||

In this example, the message is an ORU^R01 message type, which indicates it is a result message being sent from the LIS system to the state. The message includes a patient identification (PID) segment, patient visit (PV1) segment, order (ORC) segment, observation request (OBR) segment, and observation (OBX) segments. Each segment includes various fields that provide information about the patient, the laboratory test, and the results.

Note that the specific message format and fields used may vary depending on the specific integration and message requirements.

LIS2-A is a newer communication protocol that combines the best features of ASTM and HL7. LIS2-A is a binary protocol that allows for efficient data exchange and is more flexible than ASTM.

To choose the right integration solution for your laboratory's needs, you need to consider the following factors:

1. Compatibility with your LIS system and analyzer
2. Support for your analyzer's communication protocol
3. Ease of installation and configuration
4. Reliability and scalability
5. Support and maintenance

State Integration

State integrations refer to the integration of the LIS system with state reporting systems. In many countries, medical laboratories are required to report certain types of laboratory data to the state for regulatory compliance and public health purposes. State reporting systems are used to capture this data and generate reports that can be used for public health surveillance and epidemiological research.

Integrating the LIS system with the state reporting system can automate the process of data submission, reducing the need for manual data entry and improving data accuracy. It can also help ensure that the laboratory is meeting its regulatory obligations and can help to identify and respond to public health threats in a timely manner.

State integrations typically use a messaging protocol called Heath Level 7. HL7 is a widely used messaging standard for exchanging healthcare information between different systems. Integrating the LIS system with the state reporting system using HL7 can allow for the automatic submission of laboratory data in the required format, reducing the risk of errors and streamlining the submission process.

To choose the right integration solution for your laboratory's needs, you need to consider the following factors:

1. Compatibility with the state's reporting system and requirements
2. Support for the HL7 messaging standardl
3. Data mapping and transformation capabilities
4. Connectivity and security features
5. Error handling and reporting capabilities

EMR Integrations

Electronic medical record (EMR) integrations refer to the integration of the LIS system with electronic medical record systems. EMRs are used to store patient medical records electronically, allowing healthcare providers to access and share patient information easily and securely.

Integrating the LIS system with the EMR can help to ensure that laboratory data is easily accessible to healthcare providers, improving patient care and reducing the risk of errors. For example, if a patient's laboratory results are abnormal, the EMR can automatically generate an alert for the healthcare provider, prompting them to review the results and take appropriate action.

EMR integrations can be done in a few different ways, depending on the type of EMR being used. Some EMRs have built-in integration capabilities that allow them to communicate directly with the LIS system. In these cases, the integration may only require some configuration and testing to ensure that the data is being properly captured and stored in the EMR.

For EMRs that do not have built-in integration capabilities, an interface device may be required. This device acts as a bridge between the LIS system and the EMR, translating the laboratory data into a format that the EMR can understand. The interface device may also provide additional functionality, such as the ability to automatically update the patient's medical record with laboratory results.