Public Health Laboratories
Orchard Software is famous for its award-winning laboratory information systems and is also a leader in the LIS industry, offering a variety of informatics solutions that are installed in all sizes of physician groups, clinics, hospitals, reference labs, and public health laboratories. Offering complete lab system integration, decision-support rule capability, and configurable analytics, Orchard’s systems allow public health laboratories to better handle current issues they are facing relative to environmental health, emerging infectious diseases, emergency preparedness, informatics, food safety, newborn screening, and global health.
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Systems Integration & Interfaces
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Today’s PHL is faced with many challenges, including an increasing need for flexibility and electronic connectivity that enables real-time response to public health concerns. Orchard Software provides the tools needed to meet the integration goals set by the CDC, as well as state and county health departments. Orchard’s solutions are compliant with current HL7 2.5.1 standards and have many existing interfaces to PCR, DNA, RNA, and molecular instrumentation to support both genetic and environmental testing. In addition, Orchard’s systems allow laboratories to electronically report results to the state’s surveillance system, positioning public health laboratories to meet HITECH requirements and, in turn, enable states to monitor critical data in a timely manner.
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Available Interfaces
Emergency Preparedness Planning: LRN-B & Surge Capacity
Orchard has developed an electronic interface from Orchard® Harvest™ LIS to the CDC’s Public Health Information Network Messaging System (PHIN MS) with a variety of possible deployment options. This interface enables the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) labs to report their results to the CDC electronically, eliminating time-consuming and error-prone manual entry, so they can quickly recognize, rule out, or refer potential bio-threat agents.
In addition, Orchard’s products improve surge capacity and enhance a PHL’s ability to communicate during public health emergency preparedness planning. In a surge situation, samples are triaged to ensure the highest priority samples get tested first. In order to properly triage, specific information has to be collected from the hospital. With Orchard’s adaptable LIS/outreach tool, Orchard® Copia®, information fields on the order entry screen that are optional in times of routine surveillance can be configured as mandatory to accommodate surge capacity.
In addition, Orchard’s products improve surge capacity and enhance a PHL’s ability to communicate during public health emergency preparedness planning. In a surge situation, samples are triaged to ensure the highest priority samples get tested first. In order to properly triage, specific information has to be collected from the hospital. With Orchard’s adaptable LIS/outreach tool, Orchard® Copia®, information fields on the order entry screen that are optional in times of routine surveillance can be configured as mandatory to accommodate surge capacity.
Support for Diverse Testing Menu
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Orchard’s systems provide the flexibility required by the diverse testing menu found in the PHL environment, enabling labs to manage testing for suspected cases of infectious and environmental diseases. With a variety of sample types, ranging from water or food to tick testing for rabies, public health laboratories need an LIS/LIMS with a high level of configurability. Traditionally a LIMS functionality, the adaptability in Orchard’s systems allows for the relabeling of fields to accommodate parameters needed for esoteric sample types. In addition, new tests can be implemented quickly and easily to enable a PHL to rapidly respond to a new or reemerging health threat. Orchard’s systems provide the utmost flexibility PHLs require to support their changing needs.
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Decision Support Rules & Lab Analytics
Orchard’s systems include advanced decision support rules technology that enables the systematic development of decision trees and algorithms for reflex testing, routing of results, charge capture, and test interpretation. Additionally, the robust Microbiology module allows for specialized microbiology testing, decision support algorithms and protocols, and configurable worksheets needed for esoteric testing.
Data mining and analytics enable monitoring and reporting of inconsistent findings to document compliance and corrective actions, and enable continuous quality improvement activities. In addition, reports from Orchard’s systems can be used to help satisfy Public Health Accreditation Board requirements, and configurable reporting profiles are available to address specific state or local jurisdictions’ individual public health prevention and intervention strategies.
Data mining and analytics enable monitoring and reporting of inconsistent findings to document compliance and corrective actions, and enable continuous quality improvement activities. In addition, reports from Orchard’s systems can be used to help satisfy Public Health Accreditation Board requirements, and configurable reporting profiles are available to address specific state or local jurisdictions’ individual public health prevention and intervention strategies.
Ongoing Modifications to Support Molecular Testing
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Orchard’s system capabilities continue to grow to support PHL information technology needs, concentrating on staying abreast of a rapidly evolving environment. As PHLs move to molecular testing methods to provide early detection of infectious diseases, Orchard’s ongoing development process continually evolves to support new genetic and molecular testing applications. Orchard has many existing interfaces to PCR, DNA, RNA, and molecular instrumentation to support both genetic and environmental testing. In addition, Orchard’s support services and request for modification process allows public health labs to have a voice in shaping future capabilities and system functionality to meet evolving needs.
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Microbiology Electronic Worksheets Improve Efficacy
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Featuring a single shared database for clinical laboratory, microbiology, cytology, and anatomic pathology, Orchard’s lab system electronically integrates all your laboratory departments—no need for separate systems. The shared database provides access to the animal’s entire lab history and enables the addition and consolidation of clinical results to the cytology or pathology report.
Image management tools make it easy to link digital images, annotated diagrams, and scanned documents to case worksheets and incorporate them onto animal reports. When completing a pathology report within the Orchard system, if desired, other pathology orders are shown on the current report. |
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Orchard’s Laboratory Information Systems Support Public Health Laboratories
Orchard’s software solutions can address the advanced IT needs of a diverse testing menu and eliminate many of the concerns public health laboratories (PHLs) face regarding electronic lab reporting. Offering complete laboratory system integration, decision-support rule capabilities, configurable analytics, and case management tools, Orchard’s systems allow PHLs to efficiently track clinical and environmental test data, respond to public health emergencies, and capture key performance analytics. |
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Read about how Tulare County Public Health Laboratory uses Orchard Software’s laboratory information systems to add value to its customers.
Tulare County Public Health Laboratory (TCPHL) received a grant through the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) to implement Lean practices that improve laboratory efficiency. As part of its Lean toolkit, TCPHL selected Orchard Software’s laboratory information systems to help streamline processes, eliminate waste, and add value to its customers. Combining Lean concepts with a strong IT solution has helped TCPHL achieve measurable improvements in quality and cost savings. |