colLABoration: The Orchard Software Blog

If you are planning to purchase a new LIS, or make any other major purchase for your laboratory, you may need support from someone at your organization’s administrative level. It is important to actively work to build a rapport with your administrative team and to understand the mission and vision of your organization so that you can align departmental decisions with organizational goals. Having the trust and support of the right people can make the decision process easier.

​While there is widespread dissatisfaction among EHR users, it is less common to hear the same animosity toward an LIS. LISs are more mature, and the laboratory has been working with them for decades now. However, this does not mean you have to be stuck with an old, frustrating system that no longer meets your needs. If you are wondering if your current LIS will meet your future needs, here are five signs that may signal the need to look into replacing your LIS.

​At Orchard, we are proud of the fact that we continually strive to align our offerings with changes in the healthcare industry, and we listen to our client base to constantly improve our products. Knowing that point-of-care testing (POCT) is growing and that it offers serious challenges in oversight and connectivity, we developed Trellis to support POCT. It is another example of Orchard providing exciting new products built on the most up-to-date technologies.

​Anyone involved in the oversight of a POCT program knows firsthand that it is not an easy endeavor to track and manage POCT across locations, devices, and operators. Within a healthcare organization, testing may take place in dozens of locations, with different tests and devices in each location, and hundreds to thousands of end operators who all require training and assessments. Using  statistics from the Whitehat Communications webinar series, we've put together an infographic that highlights challenges those managing  POCT experience. Meeting regulatory requirements and performing competency assessments top the list of concerns for POCT coordinators. Additionally, POCT regulatory requirements are the most difficult tasks for POC coordinators.

​A recent CAP Today interview by Bob McGonnagle highlights the challenges inherent to glucose point- of- care testing (POCT). McGonnagle refers to the difficulties that POC coordinators face in managing the complexities of POCT as similar to the difficulty level of “swimming in the ocean.” Orchard® Trellis™, our POCT management and integration solution was designed specifically to help with those challenges. And, in April, Orchard is hosting a webinar that will include a live demonstration of how Trellis can support the role of POC coordinators.

Healthcare’s shift to focus on patient outcomes and quality requires laboratory professionals to step up their game and make sure their labs provide value in the new system’s parameters. Laboratory stewardship refers to taking ownership of your lab’s contribution to patient care from top to bottom. One of the cornerstones of laboratory stewardship, and something lab professionals can directly impact, is guiding better test utilization.

​Focusing on a broader scope of laboratory stewardship and becoming cognizant of the value of the laboratory’s contribution in addition to quality lab result reporting requires a culture change. We all acknowledge that change is often difficult yet, the laboratories that will thrive in a value-based healthcare system must be aware of the changes and be nimble enough to shift their thinking to consider the lab’s contribution on a bigger scale. 

​As our healthcare system continues transitioning to value-based care, laboratory professionals are encouraged to find their place in supporting proactive care models. This change means focusing on a broader scope of laboratory stewardship and being aware of the value of the laboratory’s contribution in addition to quality lab result reporting. 

Changes within the U.S. healthcare system are pressuring laboratory professionals to focus on the broader scope of laboratory stewardship and become cognizant of the value of the laboratory’s overall contribution in addition to quality lab result reporting. Laboratories are encouraged to find new ways to contribute in a value-based, patient-centered healthcare system, broadening their impact, and proving their worth within their organization.

​The laboratory is a key ancillary with a large amount of data that can be incorporated into population health management (PHM). With an understanding of PHM, the lab can play a more active role in communicating results and coordinating care. The lab is the “gatekeeper” for patient data that can identify patient populations that can benefit from screening tests or require chronic disease monitoring.