LABORATORY INFORMATICS

 

State Public Health Department LIMS Requirements, Assessments, Vendor Selection and Implementation Support

Business and Technology Goals

Assist the state public health laboratory select a fully functional LIMS to facilitate the laboratory’s efforts to meet its regulatory requirements under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and EPA Regulations as well as its responsibilities to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Solution

LabAnswer conducted on-site interviews of laboratory management, scientific staff, administrative staff and major users of data in order to analyze all aspects of laboratory operations. Functions examined included sample receiving, processing, tracking and management, work scheduling, analytical processes, data reporting, internal monitoring, control charting, instrument interfacing, chemical inventories, status monitoring, quality assurance and quality control, database integration, human resource functions, equipment inventory monitoring, equipment operator certification, and client interfaces.

Using information solicited during the interviews, LabAnswer produced the following documents to be incorporated into a Request for Proposal:

  • As-is review.
  • To-be requirements document
  • Business process review

 

Additional LabAnswer deliverables include:

  • Request for Proposal (RFP) Development
  • Vendor demo script development
  • Requirements matrix
  • Vendor rating
  • Tool development
  • Vendor market analysis report

Benefits

Based on LabAnswer's knowledge of the lab's operations, requirements and LIMS, LabAnswer was retained to help the laboratory implement the LIMS chosen by the LIMS selection committee, on time and on budget.