Laboratory
Laboratory software and specimen tracking
In a laboratory, trust rests on the right specimen matching the right patient. HekimBis ties the order to a barcoded specimen, the specimen to the analyzer worklist, the result to validation and to critical value notification, and records every step with who did it, when and on which device.
A specimen starts with a barcode and ends with a validated result
For outpatient facilities and small to mid-size diagnostic businesses, the test and panel order, specimen collection, acceptance or rejection, processing, preliminary and final results, validation and portal publishing are in the same flow. It can work alongside hospital-scale LIS systems.
When a clinic orders a lipid panel, the clinical context comes with the order. A barcode label is printed at collection and the collector is recorded; the laboratory accepts the specimen and sends it to the analyzer worklist. When the result arrives it matches the order and specimen identity, and the reference range is applied by age and sex.
The specimen chain and the result with its reference range appear together
At the top is a specimen's path: order, collection (barcode, collector), acceptance, processing, result, validation. Each node shows who did it, when and on which device; a rejected specimen shows as a red node and the recollection task as a separate branch. Below are the result rows: value, unit, the reference range applied to the patient's age and sex, and out-of-range and critical flags; if the unit or method changes, the trend line shows a mismatched-comparison warning.
Acceptance · Accepted
K+: 4.8 → 5 → 5.3 → 6.4
Table view
| Results | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| LDL | 162 | Out of range |
| HDL | 52 | — |
| Triglycerides | 210 | Out of range |
| Glucose | 92 | — |
| Creatinine | 1 | — |
| K+ | 6.4 | Critical |
Names, values and records on screen are examples prepared for illustration.
Five working steps of a laboratory
- Test and panel orders
- The order arrives with its clinical context; frequently used panels are kept as templates.
- Specimen and barcode
- A barcode label is printed at collection and the collector is recorded; acceptance or rejection is processed with its reason.
- Processing and preliminary result
- The specimen goes to the analyzer worklist, and the result matches the order and specimen identity.
- Validation and critical value
- After technical and clinical validation the final result is published; a critical value is notified to the ordering physician.
- Correction and withdrawal
- If a result is corrected or withdrawn, the old version is kept and those who viewed the result are notified.
The laboratory flow from order to patient portal
The order moves through specimen and acceptance to processing, from the preliminary result to technical and clinical validation, and through the final result and physician review to portal publishing. If a specimen is rejected, a recollection task is opened; a specimen that does not match is quarantined. If a result is corrected or withdrawn, the old version is kept.
Portal release
The result is released in the portal with physician approval or a clinic rule.
- The process is complete here.
All steps
- 01 Test order (Ordering clinic) A test or panel is ordered with priority and clinical context.
- 02 Specimen and barcode (Specimen collection) The specimen is collected, a barcode label is printed and the collector is recorded.
- 03 Acceptance (Laboratory) The laboratory accepts the specimen; identity and label are checked.
- 04 Processing (Laboratory) The analyzer worklist is sent and the result is received.
- 05 Preliminary result (Laboratory) Value, unit and reference range are carried from the source.
- 06 Technical and clinical verification (Verifier) Out-of-range and critical values are flagged and verified.
- 07 Final result (Verifier) The verified result becomes final.
- 08 Physician review (Ordering clinic) For a critical value the physician acknowledges.
- 09 Portal release (Portal) The result is released in the portal with physician approval or a clinic rule.
Alternative path from 03 Acceptance; it returns to the main flow at 02 Specimen and barcode.
- 03a Rejection (Laboratory) An unsuitable specimen is rejected and the reason recorded.
- 03b Recollection task (Specimen collection) A recollection task is opened for the collection team.
Alternative path from 04 Processing; it returns to the main flow at 04 Processing.
- 04a Non-matching specimen (Laboratory) If the identity does not match, the specimen is quarantined.
- 04b Human review (Laboratory) The specimen is matched to the right order or rejected.
Alternative path from 07 Final result; it returns to the main flow at 08 Physician review.
- 07a Correction or withdrawal (Verifier) The old version is kept; those who saw the result are informed.
09 Portal release
Every specimen and result status has an owner
The statuses collected, accepted, rejected, in progress, preliminary, final, corrected and withdrawn each change in the step of the relevant role; the ordering clinic, specimen collection, laboratory, validator and patient portal each see their part. The rejection reason, the recollection task and the user, time and device of every transition are recorded.
- The rejection reason and the recollection task are recorded
- User, time and device are kept at every transition
- The patient portal shows only the published result
Analyzer and LIS connection
Analyzer worklists and result intake run through HL7 v2 and FHIR mapping; code mapping is versioned, and unit and reference range are carried from the source.
- Analyzers
- Worklist queries, result intake and connection status are monitored.
- Connected LIS
- Order and result reconciliation takes place.
- Barcode and label printer and reader
- Specimen labels are printed and scanned.
- Edge Connector
- During an outage a local queue keeps results and resends them afterwards.
Common questions about laboratory software
Is there a separate profile for laboratories?
Yes. Laboratory is one of the defined clinical profiles: order, specimen, barcode, acceptance and rejection, processing, validation and critical value. It is versioned and passes two separate clinical sign-offs before release.
Is my analyzer supported?
Device connections are verified per manufacturer, exact model, protocol and version, and the verified ones are listed. A result file from a device that is not on the list can be imported with a note that it is not integrated.
Can a result attach to the wrong patient?
Automatic matching uses the order, the specimen and an identity check; a specimen that does not match is quarantined and needs a human check.
How is the reference range applied?
It is carried from the source by age, sex, pregnancy, device and method; if a conversion is applied, the source and formula are recorded. If a unit or method changes, a mismatched-comparison warning appears.
How is a critical value managed?
A critical value is notified to the target person through the defined channel; retries and acknowledgement are tracked, and escalation runs if needed.
How does a result reach the patient portal?
It is published in the portal by doctor approval or institutional rule; notifications carry no health data.
What happens to the old value of a corrected result?
The old version is kept; the correction or withdrawal is recorded with a reason and those who viewed the result are notified.
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