Medical lab management software provides a solution to harmonize procedures, coordinate lab activities and validate the work conducted. It enables the automated execution of lab processes that helps organizations increase efficiency, make improved decisions and scale. Modern medical treatments and processes would become far more difficult if there was no way to use management software. There are many different medical lab management software programs currently in use throughout the world. Many people who work in the field do not truly understand just how useful the software is.
What is Medical Lab Management Software?
Medical lab management software, also known as Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) or Laboratory Management Systems (LMS) provides a unified system that streamlines medical data acquisition, processing and tracking. Its use helps in higher level decision making by organizing the information in an accessible format while adhering to HIPAA requirements.
These out-of-the-box solutions feature compliance engineered designs that automate best practices and lean workflow. These paperless systems use less resources while achieving the same or improved work as before.
What Are the Benefits of Medical Lab Management Software?
LIS/LMS software helps labs and medical offices in four main ways. These include the four “Cs”:
- coordination,
- consistency,
- collaboration,
- compliance.
These software programs coordinate activities between a variety of stakeholders including accountants, information system managers, lab technicians, lab managers and quality analysts. These systems integrate data and processes, rather than relying on different systems and processes by department or stakeholder group that create lapses in data. It automates work flows, so each stakeholder group receives the needed information when required.
LIS/LMS also ensure data consistency. This helps the lab comply with regulatory requirements. It streamlines data tracking from deviation tracking systems, document management, electronic laboratory notebooks, information management systems, learning management systems and quality management.
These software programs enable collaboration which enhances return on investment. The program lets the lab establish a central repository that monitors quality while tracking business processes.
Finally, when used as designed, these software programs automatically create a regulatory compliant lab. A key method of 21 CFR Part 11 compliance is laboratory workflow automation. These systems provide secure settings for electronic signatures and validation thereof.
Popular Medical Lab Management Software
The practice management software MicroMD provides multiple versions, including MicroMD PM and EMR/EHR. It goes beyond the lab to enable full medical practice management. It includes aspects for:
- managing billing and claims,
- reports including financial and appointments,
- patient demographics capture,
- scheduling,
- advanced security mechanisms that limit access.
This type of solution documents the patient from intake and registration throughout the treatment process. It tracks every appointment and procedure, billing and insurance, payments and more. It lets you scan a driver’s license or insurance card and have the information from it automatically populate in the system. MicroMD offers a free demo upon request.
ADSC also offers a demonstration of its practice management solution. Its product provides automated monitoring to reduce audit risk and limit breaches of personal health information. Its frequent program updates automate regulatory compliance at the state and federal level. That includes oversight in regard to CLIA, EMTALA, HIPAA and OSHA compliance.
It also offers billing and collections to enable appropriate revenue management and streamline insurance and Medicare/Medicaid billing. It automates claims submission and resubmission when needed.
Its solution also includes an inventory control aspect that tracks drugs, pharmaceutical samples and medical supplies. It integrates with barcode scanners to simplify entry. The user can automate reorders based on usage patterns. It also offers cost containment features.
Its communication features enable stakeholder collaboration via secure file sharing, email and video conferencing. The medical team can collaborate anywhere there’s an Internet connection.
Finally, Xybion offers a similar software geared toward the four Cs: coordination, consistency, collaboration and compliance. Its solution bears strong similarity to the two discussed above but adds options geared toward workers compensation documentation.
Lab and practice management systems help healthcare organizations protect patient data, improve treatment, automate processes and increase ROI. These options let labs and medical facilities collaborate in secure manners that ensure regulatory compliance.
