LIS & Laboratory Terminology Knowledge Hub
Clear definitions of 85+ essential LIS and laboratory terms – from accessioning and HL7 to synoptic reporting and workflow automation. The complete lab terminology knowledge hub:
A
Accessioning
Accessioning is the process of receiving, labeling, and documenting samples in a laboratory setting. It’s a critical step in sample management, ensuring every sample is uniquely identified, properly recorded, and traceable across its entire lifecycle. Widely used in clinical diagnostics, accessioning helps maintain sample integrity and ensure compliance. The workflow typically covers sample receipt, condition checks, barcode assignment, data entry into an LIS, physical labeling, quality-control verification, and finally storage or processing. When done well, accessioning prevents sample mix-ups, strengthens data integrity, streamlines lab workflows, and supports regulatory compliance.
Analytics
Laboratory analytics is the systematic examination of operational, clinical, and financial data. The analytics are used to uncover trends, but also to optimize laboratory operations. These analytics do not just store raw testing metrics. Modern analytics platforms transform data into actionable insights on customized dashboards. This allows lab managers, directors, and staff to identify workflow bottlenecks, predict peak volume testing periods, and support strategic decision-making.
Anatomic Pathology
Anatomic pathology is the medical specialty focused on diagnosing disease through the microscopic and macroscopic examination of organs, tissues, and cells. A modern pathology information system digitizes this entire workflow, tracking specimens from case accessioning through histology, staining, and final synoptic reporting.
API Integration
An API integration is a secure, direct software connection that uses Application Programming Interfaces to enable the automated, real-time exchange of data between disparate systems. As evident in many clinical labs, in modern diagnostics, web APIs eliminate manual data-entry errors by seamlessly connecting the LIS to electronic health records (EHRs), billing platforms, and advanced diagnostic instruments. Simply put – in the 21st century, one cannot run a modern clinical lab without using API integration.
Audit Trail
A critical part of laboratory management, an audit trail is a permanent and chronological digital record that logs all user activities, system changes, and data modifications within a software platform. This immutable log is extremely critical for healthcare compliance, security, and accountability. Correct audit trails are even more critical in medical labs and their LIS systems, as every modification to a patient record or test result can be traced back to a specific user and timestamp. As proven in countless instances, labs that cannot produce a clear audit trail fail their regulatory inspections. It is up to the LIS vendor to provide a system that can seamlessly integrate with the lab and produce an audit trail in accordance with each regulatory body’s guidelines.
Automated Workflow
An automated workflow is the orchestration of software-driven processes designed to minimize manual tasks, reduce human error, and accelerate laboratory operations. By automating repetitive steps – such as sample routing and storage, reflex testing, and result distribution – laboratories can significantly improve operational consistency and shorten turnaround times. Old-fashioned LIS systems (see “Legacy System”) tend to be manual and overcomplicated, while modern LIS systems and platforms are leaning towards greater automation.
B
Barcode Tracking
Barcode tracking is the application of linear or 2D barcode technology to identify, monitor, and manage specimens, slides, and laboratory assets throughout the entire testing lifecycle. Barcode systems enforce a digital chain of custody from the exact moment of specimen accessioning. By doing so, the barcode system eliminates the risk of human misidentification and ensures specimen traceability.
Batch Processing
Batch processing is a critical capability of a laboratory information system that enables the simultaneous execution of multiple specimens, cases, or operational tasks rather than one by one. This functionality drastically improves efficiency and throughput in high-volume environments, allowing lab staff and stakeholders to clear heavy workloads with minimal manual intervention. Legacy systems cannot perform batch processing in a manner that suits 21st-century workflows, and over 93% of clinical labs that use automation have significantly reduced their turnaround times.
Business Continuity
Business continuity refers to the strategic framework and operational procedures designed to keep a laboratory functional during unexpected disruptions, such as hardware failures, natural disasters, or cyberattacks. Modern, cloud-native platforms ensure business continuity by maintaining around-the-clock uptime and preventing data loss through real-time replication. While in many industries, business continuity is a holy grail, in the healthcare ecosystem, it is highly critical, as lives are at stake.
Business Intelligence (BI)
Business intelligence (BI) in healthcare refers to the technologies and reporting tools used to collect and transform raw laboratory data into strategic insights. By visualizing key performance metrics on centralized dashboards, BI empowers laboratory executives to make data-driven decisions regarding capacity planning, asset utilization, and financial performance. While traditional business intelligence requires separate, slow third-party reporting plug-ins, modern LIS architectures build live, high-performance operational analytics directly into the core user interface. Several high-profile labs reported that their cloud-based LIS platform was a crucial key to their expansion success, due to the ability to produce live and on-demand BI reports.
C
Cancer Registry Integration
Cancer registry integration is the automated electronic exchange of oncology, pathology, and molecular data between diagnostic laboratories and public health cancer registries. This seamless reporting loop ensures compliance with regulatory mandates while providing epidemiologists, clinical researchers, and lab staff with timely, structured diagnostic data.
CAP Compliance
CAP compliance is the strict adherence to the rigorous laboratory accreditation standards and quality requirements established by the College of American Pathologists. Maintaining CAP compliance requires meticulous documentation, continuous quality control tracking, and comprehensive audit trails across all clinical laboratory workflows. As the National Library of Medicine reports, CAP compliance is voluntary for medical laboratories globally and is not directly mandated by any national government. However, it is widely utilized and effectively required in several scenarios.
Case Accessioning
Case accessioning is the critical initial step in the diagnostic workflow, in which a unique identifier, or accession number, is assigned to an incoming patient specimen or pathology case. This process registers the sample in the laboratory system, establishes the patient link, and captures necessary clinical data before testing begins.
Chain of Custody
Chain of custody is the unbroken, fully documented chronological history of a specimen’s handling, transfer, storage, and processing from the moment of collection to final disposition. Maintaining a rigorous digital chain of custody is essential for clinical accountability, legal validation, and patient safety. Several key regulatory bodies consider the chain of custody to be one of the most critical aspects of their inspections. A clinical lab that fails to maintain a clear chain of custody may face severe regulatory challenges.
Clinical Decision Support (CDS)
Clinical decision support (CDS) is a technology built into healthcare software that assists medical professionals by analyzing laboratory data and delivering relevant, real-time diagnostic information. CDS tools help clinicians minimize diagnostic errors by flagging critical values, suggesting reflex testing, or cross-referencing genetic markers – even for mobile labs.
Clinical Laboratory
A clinical laboratory is a dedicated, regulated facility where diagnostic testing is performed on patient specimens to support disease detection, monitoring, and treatment decisions. Clinical laboratories rely on highly structured workflows and comprehensive information systems to deliver accurate, reproducible clinical results to healthcare providers.
CLIA Compliance
CLIA compliance is adherence to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, federal regulatory standards that govern the quality and accuracy of all clinical laboratory testing performed on humans in the United States. Every diagnostic lab must enforce strict quality control and personnel standards to maintain its CLIA certification. In the United States, unlike CAP, CLIA certification is legally required for virtually all clinical laboratories, as an FDA mandate.
Cloud-Based LIS
A cloud-based LIS is a laboratory information system hosted on external cloud infrastructure and accessed securely via the internet, removing the need for on-premise local servers. The cloud-based deployment model reduces internal IT overhead, simplifies multi-site management, and enables faster software updates than legacy systems.
Cloud-Native Architecture
Cloud-native architecture refers to software designed specifically to run in elastic, modern cloud environments from day one, utilizing microservices and containerization. Unlike older legacy systems that are simply retrofitted for the web, true cloud-native infrastructure scales dynamically with volume, offers built-in resilience, and eliminates local hardware dependencies. It has been proven that cloud-native architecture is more agile and fast-paced, especially for multi-site facilities.
Compliance
Compliance in healthcare is the continuous process of aligning laboratory operations with all applicable local and federal regulations, security standards, and quality guidelines. This includes adhering to regulatory mandates such as HIPAA, CLIA, and CAP, as well as specific data governance protocols, to ensure patient data safety.
Cytology
Cytology is the branch of pathology focused on the microscopic examination of individual cells to screen for and diagnose diseases, such as cancer, cellular anomalies, and inflammatory conditions. Cytology workflows require precise digital specimen tracking and seamless integration with pathologists’ workbenches for efficient case sign-off.
D
Data Backup
Data backup is the automated process of creating and storing secure copies of laboratory information in a separate digital location to safeguard against system failures or accidental loss. Relying on manual or localized backups poses severe operational risk, whereas modern systems use real-time, redundant data replication. Resilient labs protect themselves with encrypted, version-controlled backups, thorough audit trails, and structured configuration management.
Data Governance
Data governance is the comprehensive framework of internal policies, standards, and metrics that define how a laboratory’s data is collected, stored, and utilized. Strong data governance ensures that clinical and operational records remain highly secure, structurally accurate, and compliant with healthcare regulations. According to several leading published studies, truly effective data governance requires a modern LIS platform designed to eliminate data silos. Clean architecture ensures that all clinical, molecular, and operational data flows through a unified, fully auditable framework.
Data Management
Data management is the administrative and vital process of gathering, organizing, validating, and retrieving laboratory information throughout its entire lifecycle. Effective data management is critical for high-throughput laboratories to prevent operational bottlenecks and ensure data is readily available for clinical reporting. cloud-native architecture enables more effective data management, with various automation possibilities that were previously handled manually.
Data Security
Data security encompasses the technical protocols and physical measures implemented to protect sensitive laboratory information from unauthorized access, cyber threats, and data breaches. In modern diagnostics, achieving powerful data security involves end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and strict user role permissions. Data security is governed by strict regulatory frameworks like HIPAA (United States) and GDPR (Europe). It is another vital part of the laboratory complex and regulatory process, essential to modern clinical labs.
Data Warehousing
Data warehousing is the centralized storage of massive volumes of historical laboratory, clinical, and operational data pulled from multiple internal sources. This structured repository enables healthcare organizations to conduct in-depth, long-term trend analysis, clinical research, and extensive business intelligence queries without affecting daily testing speeds.
Diagnostic Workflow
A diagnostic workflow is the sequential series of laboratory processes involved in receiving, analyzing, interpreting, and delivering a final patient test result. Optimizing this workflow through digital automation reduces human touchpoints, minimizes turnaround times, and increases overall testing accuracy. Several key research studies have established that minimal human interference in the diagnostic workflow has proven to be more effective than the manual workflows of the 20th century.
Digital Pathology
Digital pathology is the field in which pathology information is acquired, managed, shared, and interpreted using high-resolution digital images rather than physical glass slides. The shift to the digital realm allows pathologists to work remotely, leverage advanced machine learning tools, and collaborate instantly across multi-site networks.
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is the comprehensive integration of modern technology across every layer of a laboratory’s operations to replace outdated, manual systems. In the diagnostic industry, this means moving away from legacy, paper-dependent software to lean, cloud-native solutions that enhance scalability and patient care.
Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery consists of the technical strategies and rapid-response protocols used to restore critical IT systems, data, and laboratory operations following a catastrophic event or cyberattack. Unlike legacy systems that require manual onsite restorations, cloud-driven systems achieve near-instantaneous recovery times. This aligns with the strict compliance regulations mandated by various governmental institutions globally, in an ongoing effort to minimize parallels of the digital age, especially in healthcare.
E
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the structured, automated transmission of business and clinical information between separate healthcare organizations and systems. EDI is considered one of the key factors differentiating between reactive and proactive labs. By standardizing data formats, EDI eliminates the need for manual paperwork, streamlining high-volume administrative exchanges like billing, orders, and insurance verification.
EHR Integration
An EHR integration is the direct software bridge that allows a laboratory information system to seamlessly exchange patient demographics, test orders, and diagnostic results with an Electronic Health Record platform. This bidirectional connection ensures that clinicians can order tests and view final reports without leaving their primary clinical software.
EMR Integration
An EMR integration connects diagnostic laboratory software directly with Electronic Medical Record applications used within specific clinics or hospital departments. This automated link accelerates clinical decision-making by directly entering structured laboratory data into the patient’s centralized electronic chart.
F
FHIR
FHIR – which stands for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources – is a modern, next-generation internet standard developed by HL7 to simplify and secure healthcare data exchange. Built on modern web APIs, FHIR enables various medical applications to request and transmit discrete clinical data instantly. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established the Vulcan project in 2019 as the official accelerator to connect clinical research and healthcare. Forming the Vulcan project resulted in making clinical trials faster and more efficient. The effort proves that the industry considers HL7 (and FHIR) the universal standard for a comprehensive framework and related standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information.
FHIR Integration
A FHIR integration is the practical implementation of FHIR data standards to support real-time, plug-and-play interoperability between a modern LIS and external digital health applications. This modern integration methodology replaces slow, rigid legacy interfaces with fast, secure, and flexible web communication.
G
Genomics
Genomics is the comprehensive study, analysis, and sequencing of an organism’s complete genetic material to diagnose disease and guide personalized medical treatment. Processing genomics data requires an advanced laboratory information system capable of managing massive datasets, tracking complex molecular workflows, and generating highly detailed variant reports.
H
Healthcare Interoperability
Healthcare interoperability is the seamless ability of different information systems, software applications, and medical devices to connect, communicate, and exchange data securely across organizational boundaries. True interoperability ensures that clinical data moves instantly alongside the patient, eliminating data silos between laboratories, hospitals, and clinics. As many studies show, true interoperability has become a leading goal for most healthcare institutions, as strong connectivity around the ecosystem is a key factor for successful patient care.
Hematopathology
Hematopathology is the specialized branch of pathology dedicated to the study and diagnosis of diseases affecting the blood, bone marrow, spleen, and lymphatic tissues. Managing a hematopathology workflow requires tight integration between clinical laboratory testing counters, flow cytometry data, and digital microscopic analysis.
Histology
Histology is the microscopic study of tissue structure and organization used by pathologists to identify cellular abnormalities and diagnose disease. The histology workflow involves critical, multi-step physical and digital processes – including tissue embedding, sectioning, staining, and slide tracking – that require absolute traceability.
HL7
HL7 – which stands for Health Level Seven – is a set of international standards used to guide the transfer of clinical and administrative data between software applications used by various healthcare providers. Since becoming the healthcare standard, HL7 has served as the baseline language for matching test orders and results across different medical platforms. Without HL7, healthcare providers would struggle with disconnected amounts of information, making patient care slower and more error-prone. The industry uses HL7 V2 most widely: healthcare professionals consider V2 the workhorse of healthcare communication due to its simplicity and widespread adoption.
HL7 Integration
An HL7 integration is the implementation of HL7 messaging protocols to build a reliable communication interface between a laboratory information system and external healthcare software. While legacy platforms rely on rigid, hardcoded HL7 links that require manual tweaking, modern platforms utilize flexible, web-based tools to accelerate interface deployment. A study published in 2025 by the NCBI indicates that operating laboratories and healthcare institutions with the support of a modern LIS platform can achieve the highest level of interoperability with HL7 (and FHIR).
I
Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a specialized laboratory staining technique that uses specific antibodies to detect specific proteins or antigens within a tissue sample. IHC is a critical tool in surgical pathology and cancer diagnostics, demanding meticulous quality control and automated tracking of target reagents and slide images.
Integration
Integration is the technological process of linking separate software platforms, diagnostic instruments, and medical devices to operate as a unified system. Successful laboratory integration eliminates manual transcription steps, minimizes data errors, and ensures that clinical information flows immediately to the professionals who need it. AI LIS integrations are now becoming the common standard practice.
Interoperability
Interoperability is the advanced capability of diverse diagnostic systems and healthcare networks to exchange and use information securely without manual intervention. Beyond simple data transmission, it ensures that the receiving software completely understands the clinical context of the data it imports.
K
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the quantifiable metrics used by laboratory management to monitor, evaluate, and optimize operational efficiency and quality. Common clinical laboratory KPIs include turnaround time (TAT) trends, sample rejection rates, analyzer utilization percentages, and cost-per-test metrics.
L
Laboratory Automation
Laboratory automation is the integration of robotics, management systems, advanced software, and mechanical systems to handle specimens, execute tests, and manage administrative data with minimal human intervention. Automating repetitive steps in medical laboratories helps high-throughput clinical operations scale capacity while significantly reducing manual touchpoints. In the 21st century, introducing automation in laboratories is no longer a question of “if”, but a matter of “now”.
Laboratory Dashboard
A laboratory dashboard is a visual user interface that displays real-time operational data, active workloads, pending case volumes, and performance trends on a single screen. This live visualization allows laboratory supervisors to spot upcoming bottlenecks instantly and reallocate staff to maintain optimal turnaround times. According to the National Institute of Health, laboratory dashboards are a key ingredient in the ongoing effort to move from retrospective analysis to proactive management, identifying trends and operational issues before they escalate into larger problems.
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is a software platform designed primarily to manage sample tracking, inventory, quality control, and operational workflows within research, industrial, or manufacturing laboratories. It focuses heavily on batch sample processing and regulatory data logging rather than patient-centric clinical workflows. Even seasoned lab professionals sometimes confuse LIMS and LIS, as both systems are absolutely crucial to lab operations, but they’re actually solving different pieces of the same complex puzzle.
Laboratory Information System (LIS)
A Laboratory Information System (LIS) is a patient-centric software platform built specifically for clinical and diagnostic laboratories to manage the entire testing lifecycle. Unlike a generic LIMS, an LIS is engineered to handle patient demographics, clinical test orders, medical billing, compliance rules, and direct health record integrations. What makes an LIS truly powerful is how it orchestrates your entire testing workflow from start to finish. We’re talking about seamlessly managing everything from the moment a physician places an order to when that critical result lands in the right hands.
Laboratory Instrument Interface
A laboratory instrument interface is a specialized software connection that enables automated, bidirectional data exchange between a diagnostic analyzer and the LIS. It allows the LIS to send specific testing instructions directly to the instrument and automatically pulls back the final results without human error.
Legacy System
A legacy system is an outdated software platform or hardware setup that remains operational despite serious architectural limitations, security gaps, and a lack of flexibility. In the diagnostics industry, legacy systems often trap laboratories on expensive on-premises servers that cannot easily scale or integrate with modern web APIs.
LIS Vendor
An LIS vendor is a specialized technology company that develops, deploys, and supports laboratory information system software for healthcare providers and diagnostic groups. Modern vendors focus on delivering continuous, cloud-native updates rather than locking laboratories into rigid software versions that are too complex, manual, and hard to manage (while being impossible to implement modern automation).
M
Machine Learning
Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on building software systems capable of analyzing large datasets, identifying underlying patterns, and improving their performance automatically over time. In modern diagnostics, machine learning helps speed up image analysis in digital pathology and flags subtle data trends for clinical review.
Maintenance
Maintenance is the continuous operational process of monitoring, patching, updating, and troubleshooting software systems to guarantee ongoing reliability and performance. On-premise systems require expensive, manual IT maintenance windows, whereas cloud platforms handle updates automatically behind the scenes.
Molecular Pathology
Molecular pathology is a rapidly evolving subspecialty of pathology focused on analyzing DNA, RNA, and specific proteins at a molecular level to diagnose disease and guide precise therapy choices. This field requires highly specialized information systems capable of structuring complex genetic variants and next-generation sequencing workflows.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an essential security mechanism that requires users to provide two or more distinct verification factors before gaining access to a software platform. Implementing MFA is critical for protecting sensitive patient data and satisfying modern healthcare compliance frameworks. Several reviews have been conducted in the context of cybersecurity applications for Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT) security, concluding that regulatory inspections have placed a strong emphasis on data protection measures such as MFA, and that, in recent years, MFA has become a critical factor in the overall cybersecurity posture of healthcare organizations.
Multi-Site Laboratory Management
Multi-site laboratory management is the complex coordination of diagnostic workflows, testing assets, and staff across multiple laboratory locations or facilities. True multi-site management relies on a unified cloud architecture to let supervisors view workloads and share cases across the entire network instantly. A modern LIS built for multi‑site functions brings order to the chaos of distributed systems by integrating data streams, enforcing quality standards, and providing real‑time oversight.
N
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a high-throughput technology that allows laboratories to rapidly sequence massive amounts of DNA and RNA. NGS workflows generate complex, data-heavy files that demand a modern, scalable infrastructure capable of handling advanced bioinformatics and structured clinical reporting. Modern LIS solutions integrate seamlessly with NGS platforms, bioinformatics pipelines, and Electronic Health Records (EHRs), enabling smooth data exchange between research and clinical applications. Additionally, LIS platforms with embedded AI tools help automate the interpretation of genetic variants, classify mutations, and generate reports with actionable clinical insights.
O
On-Premise Deployment
On-Premise deployment is the traditional software delivery model in which laboratory applications are installed and maintained on physical servers located within the organization’s facility. This model requires heavy internal IT infrastructure, manual software upgrades, and significant capital expenditure compared to modern cloud alternatives. While most medical labs still use this method, many are moving to the cloud, as cloud-based LIS operations have proven more efficient in every way.
Order Management
Order Management is the digital process of receiving, validating, tracking, and coordinating laboratory test requests from initial clinician entry to final processing. Clean order management reduces pre-analytical errors by automatically verifying insurance, identifying duplicate requests, and ensuring clinical data is matched.
P
Pathologist Workbench
A pathologist’s workbench is a centralized digital workspace that aggregates cases, high-resolution slide images, patient history, and reporting templates onto a single screen. A modern workbench streamlines the diagnostic process by allowing pathologists to sign off on results, order reflex stains, and collaborate remotely.
Pathology Information System
A pathology information system is a specialized software platform engineered specifically to handle the complex, multi-step workflows of anatomic, digital, and molecular pathology. It provides deep functionality for tissue tracking, block management, and synoptic reporting that generic clinical systems cannot handle. While many LIS systems claim to be pathology-ready, the truth is that many are simply not well-suited to the specific requirements of pathology labs.
Pathology Reporting
Pathology reporting is the structured process of documenting and communicating diagnostic findings generated during microscopic or molecular tissue evaluation. Transitioning from narrative descriptions to standardized, data-driven reporting formats ensures that oncology registries and clinical teams receive perfectly actionable insights.
Patient Portal
A patient portal is a secure, compliant online platform that gives patients direct, self-service access to their laboratory reports, upcoming test orders, and educational health information. Providing a modern portal improves patient engagement while dramatically reducing the administrative burden on laboratory call centers.
Point of Care Testing (POCT)
Point of Care Testing (POCT) refers to diagnostic medical testing performed at or near the site of patient care – such as in an emergency room, clinic, or physician’s office – rather than within a centralized laboratory. Managing POCT requires an information system capable of tracking and aggregating data from dozens of remote, decentralized devices. It is important to note that, while POCT Tests are a popular development in the healthcare ecosystem, they must adhere to strict guidelines (such as CLIA in the United States) to ensure reliability and minimize medical errors.
Precision Medicine
Precision medicine is an innovative healthcare approach that tailors medical treatment to each patient’s individual characteristics, relying heavily on genetic, molecular, and environmental data. High-throughput laboratories are the backbone of precision medicine, requiring advanced software to parse and report complex molecular variants. While legacy software struggles to merge traditional clinical chemistry results with complex genetic datasets, modern LIS platforms unify clinical and molecular testing into a single data record, empowering the next generation of precision medicine.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
Quality Assurance (QA) is the comprehensive, systemic monitoring of all laboratory processes – including pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases – to guarantee that the final diagnostic results are accurate and reliable. Effective QA relies on automated tracking to instantly catch and correct workflow deviations.
Quality Control (QC)
Quality Control (QC) is the specific set of operational procedures and statistical checks used to verify the accuracy and precision of laboratory testing instruments. True quality control requires real-time data logging and automatically prevents the release of patient results if a testing run falls outside acceptable statistical limits. Despite the proven improvements across every metric (from quality to time spent), the QC rules must be designed, validated, and monitored. Additionally, a portion of the results should always reach a human review. No matter how good your lab’s automation process is, there is still a human QC that must be done periodically.
R
Reporting
Reporting is the final, critical step in the laboratory workflow focused on generating, validating, and securely distributing diagnostic results to clinicians and electronic medical records. Modern reporting systems prioritize digital speed, sending critical values via instant alerts to accelerate patient care. Reporting might be the aspect that most LIS systems neglect, as their reports are hard to read and the average patient will likely “get lost” in them.
Result Verification
Result verification is the formal review process where laboratory scientists or automated systems confirm the clinical validity of test results before they are released. Advanced systems utilize auto verification rules to instantly release normal results, allowing staff to focus exclusively on complex, abnormal values. Result verification is rarely possible in legacy lab systems because they require extensive manual effort. In a cloud-native LIS platform, result verification is a built-in feature that can be customized and automated according to the lab’s needs.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a data security methodology that restricts system access privileges based on an individual user’s specific job responsibilities within the organization. Implementing strict RBAC prevents unauthorized data views, protects patient privacy, and fulfills core healthcare compliance requirements. Security and IT personnel in labs and across the healthcare industry should continuously explore how RBAC is governed and mandated by reviewing the HIPAA Role-Based Access guidelines and requirements.
S
SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS (Software as a Service) is a cloud-native software delivery model where applications are hosted centrally by a provider and accessed securely by users over the internet. Instead of buying and installing applications on local computers, users subscribe to the software and access it via a web browser. The vendor manages all infrastructure, security, and updates. For laboratories, the SaaS model eliminates expensive server maintenance, reduces upfront capital costs, and ensures continuous, seamless software upgrades.
Scalability
Scalability is the technological capability of a software platform or infrastructure to effortlessly accommodate growing workloads, increasing data volumes, and multi-site laboratory expansions. LIS scalability is a core feature that allows you to grow with your lab without sacrificing speed, accuracy, or stability. However, running a lab without the proper LIS that ensures your scalability options is a risk labs shouldn’t take. True scalability requires a cloud-native backbone that can dynamically adjust processing power during peak testing hours. Scalability must be part of the LIS from day one – whether the lab is growing fast or just planning ahead. Labs that prioritize scalable systems will be better equipped to adapt to new technologies, regulatory changes, and increased demand. By embracing flexibility, labs can continue to improve patient care, advance research, and thrive in an increasingly data-driven healthcare landscape.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Single Sign-On (SSO) is an advanced authentication method that allows a user to log into multiple separate software applications using a single set of secure credentials. SSO minimizes password fatigue for hospital staff, accelerates daily login workflows, and significantly tightens corporate data security.
Specimen Accessioning
Specimen accessioning is the rigorous process of receiving, validating, and registering physical samples into a laboratory information system. Establishing a digital link at the exact moment of accessioning ensures that patient demographics, test orders, and barcodes match perfectly before any analytical steps begin.
Specimen Tracking
Specimen tracking is the continuous digital monitoring of a sample’s location, status, and environmental conditions throughout its entire laboratory lifecycle. Comprehensive tracking creates a robust audit trail, ensuring absolute visibility from initial collection to final storage or disposal.
Surgical Pathology
Surgical pathology is the branch of pathology focused on diagnosing disease through the microscopic and macroscopic examination of tissue specimens removed during major surgeries or outpatient biopsies. The surgical pathology process is a visual, complex field that relies on highly structured digital workflows to ensure accurate diagnostic reporting.
Synoptic Reporting
Synoptic reporting is a structured, template-driven methodology that standardizes diagnostic reporting using predefined data elements and medical checklists. Replacing free-text dictation with synoptic reporting ensures that critical clinical data is clear, complete, and instantly interoperable with oncology registries. Rather than forcing pathologists to fight rigid, hardcoded templates, an agile lab architecture offers flexible, built-in synoptic reporting frameworks that easily adapt to the unique diagnostic style of each laboratory team.
T
Telepathology
Telepathology is the practice of transmitting high-resolution digital pathology images electronically over networks to facilitate remote consultation, rapid diagnosis, and global collaboration. Telepathology breaks down geographical barriers, allowing specialized pathologists to render expert opinions instantly from anywhere. Cancer Central specifically points out that to function smoothly, the telepathology system and the LIS must communicate bidirectionally. The process follows a strict API-based pipeline and demands high connectivity and integration.
Tracking
Tracking is the technical capability to actively monitor the progression of specimens, operational tasks, and clinical workflows across the entire testing ecosystem. In a modern diagnostic facility, automated tracking is foundational for eliminating manual errors, minimizing delays, and maintaining total compliance.
Turnaround Time (TAT)
Turnaround Time (TAT) is the total elapsed time required to complete a diagnostic test or pathology case, measured from the exact moment of sample receipt to final report delivery. Reducing TAT is a primary performance goal for clinical laboratories, as it directly impacts the speed and quality of patient care. It has become clear in recent years that legacy LIS systems cannot meet reasonable TATs due to outdated workflows and a lack of automation. Only cloud-based LIS platforms that prioritize automation and customization can deliver modern TATs that meet expectations.
U
Uptime
Uptime is a critical performance metric that measures the percentage of time a software platform remains fully operational, accessible, and responsive to users. Modern, cloud-native laboratory infrastructure targets 99.9% uptime or higher, ensuring that high-volume diagnostics never grind to a halt due to system crashes.
User Management
User management is the administrative control panel for creating accounts, configuring authentication methods, adjusting passwords, and assigning system permissions within an application. Streamlining user management is essential for maintaining strict data security and compliance across multi-site networks.
V
Validation
Validation is the formally documented process of testing and demonstrating that a laboratory system, software interface, or clinical workflow consistently performs in accordance with its intended specifications and regulatory requirements. Continuous validation is a mandatory prerequisite for maintaining CAP and CLIA certifications. Data integrity is paramount in laboratory operations. An LIS contributes to comprehensive data management by ensuring data accuracy through built-in validation rules, as well as by providing real-time access to lab data for authorized personnel and offering advanced analytics capabilities for trend analysis and continuous improvement. These features not only meet certification requirements but also empower labs to make data-driven decisions to enhance ongoing quality.
W
Whole Slide Imaging (WSI)
Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) is the high-resolution digital scanning of entire physical glass pathology slides into a virtual format for onscreen viewing, cloud storage, and advanced image analysis. WSI is the core technological driver behind modern digital pathology and AI-assisted diagnostics.
Workflow Automation
Workflow automation is the practical application of software logic and rules to automate repetitive, manual laboratory tasks. By automating data routing, quality control checks, and report distribution, laboratories can scale their testing capacity without significantly increasing overhead costs. Fast, reliable turnaround times are essential for patient care and lab profitability. If an LIS can’t keep up with the lab’s workload (resulting in delayed results), then the LIS is not doing its job. Bottlenecks in the system mean lost business and dissatisfied clients. Additionally, workflow gaps can risk compliance and security, exposing labs to failing in compliance inspections.
Workflow Management
Workflow management is the high-level coordination, monitoring, and optimization of all active laboratory operations from the moment a specimen enters the facility until the final delivery of results. Workflow management provides operational visibility, helping supervisors balance workloads across various instruments and departments.
Workflow Optimization
Workflow optimization is the continuous process of evaluating laboratory steps to eliminate operational bottlenecks, reduce manual touchpoints, and improve diagnostic accuracy. True optimization relies on deep data analytics to constantly refine staffing, instrument usage, and turnaround times. Laboratory workflow optimization isn’t just about speed – it’s also about integrations, compliance, lack of scalability, and frequent downtime.
Y
Yield
Yield is the quantitative or qualitative measurement of the usable, clinically valid results generated from a specific laboratory process, extraction, or diagnostic run. Optimizing yield is particularly crucial in molecular diagnostics and genomics, where initial patient sample quantities can be extremely limited.
Z
Z-Score
A Z-Score is a statistical measurement used in laboratory quality control to determine exactly how many standard deviations a specific test result or control value falls away from the population mean. While legacy systems require quality control managers to manually calculate or pull separate charts to monitor statistical variance, a cloud-native LIS platform automates Z-score tracking in real time across all connected analyzers, instantly flagging deviations and automatically halting compromised runs. Monitoring Z-scores allows quality teams to instantly detect subtle instrument drift and correct calibrator errors.