To advance in efficiency allow greater productivity in a shorter amount of time can be achieved through a COVID-LIMS and more specifically through a web portal that connects collection centers and analysis laboratories.

Client web portal by LabCollector

To minimize turnaround time so that those who test positive can isolate themselves and stop the spread of Covid-19, AgileBio deployed LabCollector COVID-LSMRemote, a full featured client web portal to manage large volumes of incoming COVID tests. LSMRemote portal offers patient access to register their information, send a test request or simply retrieve their results. (see picture below) Clients can access the required information in real time. To take this a step further, the portal also offers the customers self-service for seamless access to sample data, test results, test reports and invoices.

All information is collected and directly linked to LabCollector and in particular to the LSM add-on. Thus, communication becomes fast, transparent and above all efficient! No more data entry errors or time wasted on purely administrative tasks!

How does the job pre-registration work and what are the benefits?

Every day it is a new adventure to manage the influx of patients coming for testing. Before taking the sample, we are often asked for additional information, more or less precise, such as name, first name, symptoms, insurance, contact with COVID positive people, etc. This step takes a lot of time and does not facilitate the rapid passage of patients to the collection center. Thanks to the LabCollector web portal and the Job Pre-Registration part, the registration of information can be greatly simplified and giving patients a secure and convenient way of asserting their health credentials.

1. Simplified way of collecting patient & job information 

When taking a test, the patient can go to the collection center’s website and be redirected to the patient portal. On this portal, a “Job Pre-Registration” section is available and allows the patient to fill in all the information required for the record.

A form to be filled out is made available to the patient with two distinct parts: personal information (Patient pre-registration) and information related to the test (Job pre-registration) to be performed and complementary to the patient’s medical file.

When filling out the form, the patient must select the location where he or she wishes to have the test performed. This allows the collection center to receive only the test requests concerning them and also the analysis laboratory to have a precise idea of the client sending the test.

NOW WITH APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULING & ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE 

A new option is also available to access an appointment scheduling to select the day and time the patient wants to make an appointment when necessary, for the collection center. This new option is due to the integration of Acuity Scheduling system with LabCollector. For added security, a new option is available that allows the patient to electronically sign their record. (see pictures below)

Visit our Integration page to learn more about all possible solutions with your LabCollector.

If a patient has already been registered, they can now go to the Existing category and simply enter their ID number (found directly on the old results reports). An email will then be sent with a confirmation code. This code can be entered to validate the entry of a new job.

After completing the form and validating the submission, a QR Code is sent to the patient by email. This QR Code allows at the time of the collection of samples, to facilitate the research of the case record.

This step is quick for the patient and saves a considerable amount of time on the construction of his record.

2. A simple QR code to simplify sample collection

When the patient comes to the collection center (client) to collect samples, the job is already pre-registered on the client portal with a new status “pre-order“.

A SIMPLE QR CODE TO SAVE A LOT OF TIME 

Thus, when the patient comes in, he simply has to present the QR Code and the related record will be automatically retrieved. The job will then open and allow the health technician to fill in the information about the samples taken and the test(s) to be performed. (see picture below)

When sending the job via the portal to the analysis laboratory, the Chain of Custody (CoC) report is created and can be downloaded. In addition, barcodes are also generated and printable to make it easier to track the samples throughout the test chain.

When the job is validated, a token (unique number) is sent by email to the patient. This token is also visible to the client on the CoC, allowing the patient to retrieve his results report when it is made available.

3. Efficient analysis management with LabCollector

When the job is created by the patient, it becomes visible on the LabCollector LIMS of the laboratory, in particular on the Lab Service Manager add-on. Once the job is updated by the collection center, the job becomes Quoted and accepted for analysis. 

The possibility to see the pre-ordered jobs allows the laboratory to organize itself and avoid a potential overload of work over a certain period.

Samples can be received with the Sample Receiving add-on. The analyses are then carried out in the laboratory by efficiently managing laboratory data, and automating laboratory workflows, with the support of LabCollector and all necessary add-ons: Workflow, LSM, ELN etc.

The results are validated following regulatory compliance, by a validator before the reports are made available to clients and patients.

4. Less administrative work and quick communication of information

One of the biggest advantages of the client web portal is to allow direct communication of information between the laboratory, the client and especially the patient. Avoiding calls to know the availability of the report, here is all the stake to use the portal and the direct communication by email to the patient.

Indeed, when the results are made available, an email or SMS is sent to the patient to inform the patient of the availability of the report.

The patient can connect directly to the web portal thanks to his token received at the time of sample collection and job sending.

The patient can also help save time!

Accelerating diagnostic COVID testing, customers self-service, managing laboratory data, automating laboratory workflows, and following regulatory compliance, all these are possible thanks to LabCollector COVID-LSM Pack and LSMRemote, a secure web portal. This solution manages the complete COVID-19 testing workflow, from sample registration, sample collection- through data and results reporting. The patient can now become a link in the testing chain and proactively participate in saving time.

Filling in information on an online form takes no more than 5 minutes but saves a lot of time for the medical staff and the testing laboratory.

Image Credits:

– www.freepik.com 

Client web portal by LabCollector

To solve the problems encountered by laboratories and their customers, LabCollector has created a web portal, LSMRemote, which is directly connected to the LabCollector LIMS. Customers can access the required information they need in real time via the LabCollector customer portal. In addition, the LSMRemote portal offers clients self-service for seamless access to sample data, test results, test reports and invoices. To take it this a step further, the portal also provides patient access to the portal to register their data, send a test request or simply retrieve their results. (see picture below)

All information is collected and directly linked to LabCollector and especially to the LSM add-on. This makes communication fast, transparent and above all efficient! No more data entry errors and no more time wasted on purely administrative tasks!

How does the patient pre-registration work and what are the benefits?

If we want to take a test, a blood sample, a nasal swab, a urine test or anything else, we first have to go through the step of registering our details with the laboratory: Name, surname, address, phone, email, insurance, etc. This step is lengthy and not very pleasant for both the patient and the person in charge of the registration. In times of a pandemic, it is even more important to spend as little time as possible on site to avoid any risk of infection.

This step can be greatly simplified with LabCollector’s web portal, LSMRemote. It can be used by the laboratory itself as well as by the patient to pre-register his or her data.

1. Simplification of Data Collection

For example, if the patient wants to have a COVID test done, they contact the sampling centre directly or via their website, where they are redirected to the patient web portal.

On this portal there is a section called “Patient pre-registration“. Here the patient can fill in a form with all the information needed to create their patient file: Name, first name, address, e-mail, telephone, insurance, etc..

IMPORTANT NOTE: All information requested in the form can be personalised directly in LabCollector LIMS and more precisely in the Patient custom module. The information is then transmitted to LabCollector via API (Application programming Interface).

This step is quick and allows the patient to give their details clearly and precisely to avoid errors in the collection point.

2. Easier Sample Collection

Pre-registering information at the time of specimen collection saves a lot of time in preparing the order. The doctor using LSMRemote (client portal) only has to select the patient record by name and fill in only the information related to the test and sample.

When the order is sent, labels are created that you can print out and stick on the samples concerned. These barcodes are linked to the order and thus to the patient

In addition, when the order is sent, a token is sent directly to the patient via email or SMS . The laboratory using LabCollector can activate this option in LabCollector. The communication is therefore direct and transparent.

3. Enhanced Traceability 

Once samples are received and analysed using LabCollector and its add-ons (read our blog about LSM add-on), the results are reviewed by a validator, which then allows a result report t be generated, that is linked to the case record. When this report is available on LabCollector, it is automatically made available on the portal, both on the client and patient side.

The case record can be modified directly in LabCollector. All information, tests and reports are linked to this patient and allows a better traceability of the data.

4. Direct and Transparent Communication

No more calls and requests from patients to know when the results will be available! It is now possible to inform the patient directly about the availability of the report when it is generated on LSM and made available on the web portal.

It is thus possible to send an email or SMS notification of the availability of the report and the results for the patient.

Once the patient has been informed that their report is available on the web portal, they can access their results via the web portal using the token previously provided.

Speed, simplicity and transparency!

These are the advantages of a web portal that can be used by patients and makes the work of all medical and scientific staff much easier and more efficient. No more data entry errors, no more incorrect or missing information, everything can be managed directly online by the laboratory.

The customer saves a lot of time and can concentrate entirely on the patient!

Image Credits:

– Icons from www.flaticon.com & www.freepik.com 

Written by Nayana.T, PhD

The year 2020 was marked by an unprecedented event. A pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, more commonly known as COVID-19 (for CoronaVIrus Disease) struck the world with daunting effects. Since the beginning of the year the number of new cases of COVID-19 were and are still increasing. As reported by the WHO, the total number of people affected is now more than 64.3 million and 1.4 million deaths. (result as of December 04, 2020)

Widespread COVID researchers, testing labs, public health organizations, private sector businesses joining to help combat to control the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the world. More than 15 million PCR tests have been sent to laboratories around the world (WHO, Weekly Operational Update on COVID-19, November 30, 2020). On daily bases, these labs and testing centers need to EFFICIENTLY manage large scale number of tests arriving in addition to their other common and routine tests. They must also ensure FAST delivery of test results to patients to limit the spread of the virus. However, handling of such large number of tests daily is another hurdle. LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) have proven to be a boon in such difficult period.

Our full featured LabCollector LSM Pack qPCR Automation has helped COVID testing labs manage the unprecedented acceleration of laboratory workflow from test requestions to sending reports, ensure compliance, including HIPAA and other privacy concerns.

LabCollector LSM pack deliver as a comprehensive Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) solution, hosted in the cloud requires no infrastructure investment. We do the configuration and set up to make it a turnkey with all the attribution of your workflow requirements with minimal implementation time to go-live in production as quick as possible in less than four weeks.

Moreover, LabCollector offers an effortless and complete laboratory management experience giving you the ability to enter biospecimens into a biobank and rapidly begin conducting COVID-19-related testing and research. Also, expand your LIMS capability with many extensive Add-Ons such as Electronic Laboratory Notebook, WorkFlow Manager, Equipment Scheduler, Gantty project, and many more as well as consumables management, labeling and barcoding. The package also includes, training to get up and running quickly with ongoing support services.

They trusted us to help them in the fight against COVID-19

LABCOLLECTOR CAN HELP YOU AT EVERY STEP!

1. Requesting your test made easier with LSMRemote web portal

Laboratories performing COVID tests receive many test requests from different collection centers every day. In order to facilitate the whole process from requisition to result reporting, we have developed a free ready-to-use web portal, LSMRemote.

Through this portal requesters/patients can easily register and even pre-register details of test request, patients’ demographics, sample information, collection date/time…etc. Tests labs using LabCollector software on the Lab Service Management add-on (LSM) receive the job request and can manage the jobs, perform the test, send custom reports to requesters and/or to the patients. LSMRemote also provides access portal to patients to easily view the status of the test and download their report as soon as it is available.

Thus, for the COVID testing lab this process instructions to be carried out on a single tool where everything is centralized increases efficiency of timeline that were unworkable given the rapidly escalating pandemic and its alarming infection rates.

“DIRECT CONNECTION WITH YOUR REQUESTERS FOR TESTS REQUESTS”

At your collection sites, to make your sample collection and associated sample information streamlined and error proved, we have developed pre-printed labels to be placed directly onto the sample tubes. These labels contain a barcode to be activated by a reader at the time of collection. The test/patient information is then linked to this unique barcode throughout the test chain.

Requesters can have assurance of their test request and sample received by obtaining the Chain of Custody (CoC) report. This is an additional proof of quality regarding the chain of custody and transport of samples.

A new option is now available on LSMRemote portal. LSMRemote now provides option for patients to pre-register before providing their samples. The information about the patient can be pre-registered by the patient. These fields in the Patient pre-registration form can be configured in custom made Patient module. Once the pre-registration by patient is done on the form, this information is automatically integrated into the custom Patient module in LabCollector which can be then connected to the LSM add-on with the help of case record function. Once the patients have registered, they can provide their samples in the clinic, drive-thru or sample collection center.

In order to efficiently track the origin of samples and thus increase compliancy, it is now possible during patient pre-registration to select the collection lab (requester/provider) in the new section “Indicate the laboratory” (see picture below). This option allows the patients to choose the requester/provider and at the same time the requesters/providers will not be able to see patients (case records) of other requesters/provider.

2. Speed up your samples receiving process

When samples arrive in test labs, it is usually individual single sample or in batches of tens or even hundreds, or thousands of samples at the same time. To improve the speed of reception and avoid manual input errors, LabCollector provides several tools to receive samples quickly and easily.

• Samples module: This basic module allows you to receive samples by unit or by batch. You store any kind of samples and create a link to LSM and other add-ons.
• Sample receiving add-on: With this add-on you can accelerate sample accession and unpacking a large quantity of packages of samples received. It gives you the ability to perform quality analysis and checks on samples to verify samples before adding to plates and creating your sample plate map. Within the Sample Receiving add-on, you can manage the storage of plates/boxes and you can also start templates in the Workflow Manager add-on. The Sample Receiving add-on works with the Lab Services Manager add-on (LSM) and an external API in order to check sample barcodes or status. The Sample Receiving and LSM add-on supports the barcode system so that you can print barcodes or read barcodes already affixed to incoming packages and samples.

All of this allows you to create and manage a hierarchical and organized storage, ideal for retrieving all your samples anywhere, anytime as you can see on the picture below. It’s a considerable time saver!

Thanks to the LabCollector Data Logger add-on, you can also monitor all the parameters of your instruments (temperature, gas, light, humidity, etc.) and be alerted in case of damage. Thus, the quality of your samples is never endangered and a quality follow-up can be carried out thanks to regular data logging. This monitoring of environmental parameters is crucial as an analytical laboratory is always at the fragility of damaging temperature sensitive samples and the importance of conservation for the reliability of the tests.

3. I-Collector for automatic instrument integration

Once all samples have been received, the requested tests must be carried out. To do so, we have I-Collector tool to automate tests by sending commands directly from LabCollector. This tool acts as middleware and allows a bi-directional communication between LabCollector and your instruments. I-Collector supports a growing number of instruments but we offer the development of any plugin needed for any of your lab instrument equipment. Results and values are automatically sent back to LabCollector or the LSM add-on as soon as the instrument releases them.

“YOUR EQUIPMENT INTEGRATED DIRECTLY TO LABCOLLECTOR
THANKS TO I-COLLECTOR”

I-Collector benefits from our API/Web-Service engine. The LabCollector API allows you to read and write data from/to any instrument in your lab, thus guaranteeing data integrity and minimizing execution time.

This integration allows considerable time savings on the realization of large-scale tests. Laboratories that have to follow FDA or ISO regulations must be more vigilant in their workflow, so automating the collection of results helps to avoid errors during multiple file manipulations. Learn more about I-Collector on our blog.

With the LabCollector Worflow Manager add-on, you can orchestrate your data and lab servicing with a graphical flow chart designer. This add-on allows the management of workflow templates (a catalog of job workflows) to start new jobs. All jobs are automatically stored which allow for monitoring status and advancement. This add-on can be configured to run production batches, clinical trials procedures and any lab operation like COVID test. NEW: You can quickly see the result for each sample on a plate thanks to a set of colors according to the results. This option is configurable in the template.

4. Analysis of results and reporting is more efficient

When a job is completed, you can generate a result report that has been previously validated by a “validator”. This validation step may be necessary to ensure that the entire process complies with established standards.

Our expert team of developers set up programming logics based on customer-determined instrument output result files, report templates for testing using a variety of protocols, such as RT-PCR and serology, or any others. At the end of the test, the results are sent automatically to LSM and instrument reports are generated so that they can be sent automatically to patients or local/state authorities (see below-part 6).

In case of errors or tests to be repeated for a patient, an option available on LSMRemote allows the requester to repeat a test with the same samples or new samples that will then be sent to the analysis laboratory. This request is then transmitted directly to the analysis lab, which can then act on the request.

In LabCollector, you can fully configure the report template by displaying the data you want such as the case record, patients’ demographics, the test, the result, the comment, signature, etc.

From a more administrative point of view, the costs of a test can be configured to automatically create a quote or invoice for each request. At the end of a job, an invoice is created with the tests performed as well as the cost of each test previously configured. The invoice template is also configurable.

This invoice (or quote) can be sent directly via LSMRemote to the requesters, allowing easy administrative management of the laboratories.

Thus LSMRemote portal saves time and considerably increases efficiency in the management of test requests but also in the administrative management of documents between the parties.

New tags are now available for report. This new feature allows you to amend or correct a finished/validated reports. You can also add append comments for LSM parameters now with our new tags. Specially, when a report result is invalid/inconclusive you can add the comment (reason) for the same in you report. Visit our Knowledge Base page to learn more about this new feature.

5. Provision of results thanks to LSMRemote

Through the LSMRemote portal patients/requesters who has requested COVID-19 test are able to see the status/progress of the test, the completed results, and validated reports.

On this portal, patient can simply login with a unique identifier (token). This identifier is created at the time of sample collection and recording of information on LSMRemote and is directly transmitted to the patient for later use. Thus, the connection and the transmission of results is secure and expedited for COVID-19 diagnosis.

6. Reporting to Local/State Authorities

At this time of pandemic, an expedited ramp-up in COVID-19 diagnostic testing is immediate in order to take adequate measures, especially now that the number of COVID cases seems to be increasing. Therefore, test reports based on standard administrative, CDC reporting requirements such as the number of positive or negative results and the total number of people tested, etc. must be sent to the Local and State authorities.

“DIRECT CONNECTION AND REPORT SENDING TO THE AUTHORITIES”

In order to facilitate this administrative step and to have a rigorous follow-up of the data, we have developed a special plugin for our I-Collector solution allowing to execute the sending of a report at a predefined and precise regular interval. It is thus possible to generate an HL7 message (Health Level Seven : set of international standards for transfer of clinical and administrative data) with a specific data mapping and to send it automatically by the SFTP or SOAP protocol (secured data transmissions) to the administrations.

This tool is currently used in the United States, but it is possible to adapt it to a completely different situation and thus save a considerable amount of time in the execution of this task.

How our LabCollector LIMS can help in COVID-19 crisis?

Well, on several points…initially LabCollector is there to help laboratories in different fields in the management of their laboratory. Indeed, in these dire times we also join our hands and fight together against COVID-19 and made LabCollector the available tool by allowing to increase the integration of your lab and the centralization of information on a single tool solution.

“WITH LABCOLLECTOR YOUR WORK IS MORE EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE”

Your daily life will be easier to manage and your work will be more efficient and productive. Don’t panic anymore when hundreds of samples to be tested arrive, the transcription of results from your equipment, the timely sending of reports for patients, the sending of invoices and reports to administrations. Everything is under control! No more painful process! LabCollector and the entire AgileBio team is here to ensure rapid deployment and support you throughout this change.

Thanks to our LIMS, you can now offload some tasks and automate some of them in order to focus on what is really important: your analysis work!

REQUEST A QUOTE FOR OUR LABCOLLECTOR COVID PACK NOW!

To help set up LabCollector v6.01 please refer to our Manuals and our Knowledgebase.

Image Credits: Pixabay
Graphics Credits: Freepik, Font Awesome