Customer Testimonials
Graham Dobbs, Pathology Manager, Fresenius Medical Care Renal Services, United Kingdom
"We utilise Modulab as our LIS to manage our outreach laboratory testing services for our Dialysis Centres across the UK. Each centre runs Modulab where we perform the patient registry and phlebotomy. Samples are delivered to our Core Laboratory in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire where we perform analytical testing and validation. Modulab works seamlessly among the different sites; patient specimens are tracked at all times and the electronic flow of information from registry and test ordering to patient result and reporting to administration management such as statistics, has really helped us streamline our operation.“
Llio Giambini, Isabella Vignoli & Giorgio Federici. Dipartimento Medicina di Laboratorio
Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN THE SERVICE OF LABORATORY MEDICINE
OBJECTIVES
In a healthcare setting that sees the hospital infrastructure experiencing rapid growth in technological terms, the choice of solutions is the subject of much attention regarding different points of view in relation to the perspectives of different actors placed in the near future. Some points, however, seem to remain fixed as constants in the choices that are, gradually, to be completed. The versatility of the system is one of these, the ability of the software to adapt to the needs of the workflow or that integrates itself into the data infrastructure of the Authority and in a "transparent" manner to both the Health Services of the territory. The scalability and the ability to adjust workloads based on appropriateness, too, is an essential feature, as is the essential architectural character of the system oriented to the multi-level platforms that integrate with other systems. In a context of change, the structures pose some compelling goals, among them the implementation of an IT system that is able to maintain continuity of service (continuous availability) close to the overall accountability and transparency with a high integration flow that is the basis of scalability of computing facilities. One of the objectives that has accompanied the development project of the system is based on the geographical distribution of the information in the network accompanied by use of complex technologies to ensure the management of information in a safe manner and with high safety standards. The LIS software, MODULAB was chosen for these features.
METHODS
MODULAB implements a multi-tier robust, safe and efficient user interface (thin client) is "light" as the browser of your computer and data are managed in encrypted and secure transactions. A particularly popular feature of Modulab was to be able to manage a web platform integrated into business-logic (Application Server) system. The user has access to data under its jurisdiction whether it is inside the hospital and whether it is elsewhere. Also, since MODULAB uses the Java environment, it is independent of the hardware platform on which it operates. In practice, you can open interface MODULAB on handheld devices, PDAs, and act as if you were on your workstation. MODULAB is highly configurable and user interfaces are designed by the system with the use of visual tools. All MODULAB interfaces are changed dynamically by the system through the use of tools and easy to use without getting into computer programming. For each user or user group, the administrator can dedicate an interface that best suits the characteristics of the area of use. MODULAB fits the flow of laboratory analysis by integrating in-house and at the same workplace all sectors of the workshop, MODULAB integrates all the functionality required to manage: Laboratory Centre, Withdrawals, accepted requests, Quality Control, Warehouse, Digital Signature, Microbiology, expert system validation, and many others including the management of the patient in oral anticoagulation therapy. MODULAB runs natively, through the use of an advanced frame integration, the MultiOnline, all connections based on IHE HL7 family of standards, as well as other standard protocols used in the health sector such as ASTM, DICOM, CIC. MultiOnline implements the communication channels with the instrumentation and hosts in the hospital.
RESULTS
We can highlight the results on different levels of analysis. MODULAB is a multi-tier robust, safe and efficient user interface (thin client) is "light" as the browser on your computer and data are processed by the layer of business -logic of the system (Application Server). The flows have been subject to review and simplified in order to have greater visibility and serviceability. With regard to laboratory procedures and was done in the integration of instrumentation for all fields in the laboratory. In all industries the need for integration is critical and has established a dedicated user interface flow. The use of MultiOnline allowed managing the interfaces and workstations in a rational and appropriate manner to the real needs of the sector. Each sector was assessed as described the information received from the instrumentation. Information of different types (numeric data, images, tracks and graphs of different types) has been integrated into Modulab in order to make the system user the best possible clinical decisions for undertaking important. A further step has been accomplished in the context of integration between hospital services. These include integration with lab management application of therapies for patients on oral anticoagulant therapy: the physician manages the patient information and laboratory results in a single operating environment. In addition, each department has the ability to manage its requests for a decentralized manner in the laboratory. The information is made available on a web accessible through accreditation at different levels both inside and outside the hospital. In particular, you can access the laboratory information through a Web Page, through application of accepted external (Retrieve) acceptance and application of internal (Order Entry). Finally, since the system is fully operational, the first results are measurable in terms of simplification of procedures for the operators and this is given mainly by the fact that Modulab integrates all sectors in the same environment. Each operator, on any terminal, entering with his or her user and password, finds its environment and its working procedures. The simplification of the flows and the centralization of additions have finally made a major governance processes.
CONCLUSIONS
However difficult the information exchange platform may be, the laboratory has drawn on the potential that the MODULAB system offers for growth in the services provided to Laboratory users.
