If you are an analytical lab, a medical lab or a core facility, you know how important and difficult it is to organize and manage receiving of samples, performing tests and creating reports when you don’t have the right tool. Processing requests on spreadsheets or software that are not adapted to your needs is a daily ordeal that takes time and presents a high risk of errors. All of these samples that arrive in test labs have precise data related to the patient or the environment, the test to be performed, the urgency of the test, etc. Moreover, each of these data must be associated with the right sample. There is no room for error! These hundreds of test requests must be processed as quickly as possible and, above all, as rigorously as possible.
In order to avoid these inconveniences and make sample management more efficient, AgileBio has developed an add-on with LabCollector called, Lab Service Manager (LSM). This add-on is a complete solution that allows you to:
- Create an inventory of sample and Chain of Custody (CoC)
- Create jobs (tests) to be performed on samples
- Configure test parameters
- Create reports
- Manage costs and create invoices
It is that simple!
1. CREATE AN INVENTORY OF SAMPLE AND COC
Add one or more samples related to a job from the inventory by completing the information required to identify each sample (number, type, date of sampling, test to be performed, etc.). Lab Service Manager also supports the barcode system so you can print barcodes for samples in a job.
- Other “semi-automatic” sample-receiving techniques are available on LabCollector such as the Sample module or the Sample-receiving add-on which allow you to speed up samples receiving and storage for tens or hundreds of arriving samples packages. These modules and add-ons can be directly synchronized to LSM to facilitate the creation of jobs and the addition of samples.
2. CREATE JOBS (TESTS) TO BE PERFORMED ON SAMPLE
Add a job request with an easy-to-use interface that allows you to complete the information related to the job (date, job number, requester, priority level, etc.). Then you can add one or more sample to the job request related to your samples inventory or directly by adding sample in Lab Service Manager.
3. CONFIGURE TEST PARAMETERS
In order to be fully adapted to your needs, it is possible for you to configure all features related to a job. Indeed, you can configure:
- Operators to whom you can assign a job
- Equipment and reagent required for the test. You can add directly on LSM or choose elements already added in modules “sample” and “equipment”.
- Processing parameters specific to each test.
- Protocols for each test by writing it or directly downloading a file in LSM.
LSM can also be connected to a custom module if you need specific data to be added to job and test.
4. CREATE REPORTS
After a job has been created, it is possible to monitor the progress of each job and for each sample. When a job is done you can generate a result report previously validated by a “validator”. The template of the report can be fully configurable with all the data you want to show.
An option for even more efficient automation is the use of I-Collector which can be used to retrieve the results on laboratory instruments and incorporate them directly into the report.
Check our webpage to read more about I-Collector automation by LabCollector!
5. MANAGE COSTS & CREATE INVOICES
Costs of a test can be configured in order to automatically create a quote or an invoice for each job. At the end of a job, an invoice is created with the tests performed as well as the cost for each test previously configured. The template of the invoice is also configurable.
Now that we know how LSM can make the life of test/service core labs easier, you’re probably wondering
if there’s a way to be linked to the requester in order to receive job requests directly?
Well the answer is YES!
To go even further in data management, avoid transcription errors as much as possible and facilitate the provision of sample-test information, AgileBio has developed a web extension for requesters and also for patients, LSMRemote.
This extension, accessible via a simple link on the internet, allows requesters to directly submit the job orders with all the information related to jobs (tests) and samples. This information is received directly on LSM. All information is synchronized between LSM and LSMRemote.
The requester can thus:
- See the status of the jobs for each sample.
- Get the report directly after the job is finished.
- See the Chain of Custody (CoC)
- Request a repeat job with or without new samples.
In addition, are you a patient? Are you tired of waiting for your test reports? Dying to know what your results are?
Imagine a scenario during this pandemic when you are doing a COVID test. How quick it would be to see your report online as soon as the test is completed, to know if you are COVID free, rather than going to the lab to pick up the report at a specific time or receiving it via email or post.
Do not worry anymore, LSMRemote portal allows patients to log in with a personal login and retrieve their test results without having to go through the sampling laboratory again.
Thanks to all these tools available on LabCollector, imagine how much time you could save on a daily basis when you are running a test lab! It not only helps you manage your service but makes you more efficient in terms of testing and delivering data.
LAB SERVICE MANAGER IS THE IDEAL ADD-ON TO EFFICIENTLY MANAGE THE MASSIVE INFLUX OF COVID-19 TESTS!
Check our webpage to read more about COVID-19 Pack LabCollector!
Emmanuelle Durand, researcher from CNRS / University of Lille 2, European Institute of Diabetes Genomics, France said,
“Following the coronavirus crisis, our research laboratory was authorized to screen for Covid-19 using the qRT-PCR technique. LabCollector has the advantage of being extremely flexible and, therefore, was an obvious choice to implement for the Covid-19 testing process, from sample arrival to sending the diagnostic results. The LabCollector team was cooperative and efficient and they greatly helped us to effectively and promptly implement this system, which was operational as soon as the first samples arrived. In the same module, we are able to follow the daily and in real time course of the samples, in addition to analyzing the CT value outputs from the qRT-PCR results. The major advantage and benefit of this system is its ability to convert these values automatically to clear positive or negative COVID-19 results.”
Discover how LabColector can help COVID testing labs here.
To help set up LSM and LSMRemote please refer to our Manuals and our Knowledgebase.
Image Credits:
– Infographics from www.all-free-download.com
– Icons from www.flaticon.com & www.freepik.com
