Development of a Cloud-Based Laboratory Information System for Multi-Platform Compatibility

The laboratory employs a legacy Laboratory Information System designed as a Windows Desktop client-server application, restricting access to Windows PCs only. The outdated architecture complicates software updates, with manual installations required for each user, and necessitates clients to maintain their own hardware infrastructure at each lab location, leading to maintenance challenges and limited agility. This legacy system diminishes operational efficiency and restricts remote access for users across different platforms.

A mid to large-sized healthcare laboratory specializing in pathology services, seeking to modernize its laboratory information management with cloud accessibility.

• Redesign the existing legacy system into a cloud-based web application accessible across multiple platforms, including Windows and Mac.
• Enhance accessibility, allowing users to operate the system remotely from home or multiple lab locations.
• Implement rapid software update deployment capabilities, reducing update times from days or hours to under one hour.
• Eliminate hardware dependency at each lab site by hosting the system in the cloud, reducing maintenance overhead.
• Improve user experience with a user-friendly interface suitable for both nontechnical and technical users.
• Augment internal development capacity with staff augmentation to ensure timely delivery and ongoing support.

• Responsive, user-friendly web interface supporting both desktop and mobile devices
• Business logic layer managing process workflows, specimen tracking, and data validation
• Integration modules for external systems such as pathology equipment, lab instruments, and external databases
• Real-time data processing and specimen status updates
• Role-based access control for diverse user types (technicians, pathologists, administrators)
• Automated deployment pipeline enabling rapid updates and bug fixes

• Laboratory instruments and pathology equipment for data acquisition
• External databases and reporting tools for external system connectivity
• Authentication and identity management systems for secure access
• Business intelligence and analytics platforms for advanced reporting

• System must support concurrent user loads of at least several hundred users with minimal latency
• High availability architecture to ensure 99.9% uptime
• Data encryption both at rest and in transit to ensure compliance and security
• Automated deployment and update processes to deploy changes within one hour
• Scalable infrastructure to accommodate future growth in specimen volume and user base

The deployment of a cloud-based, multi-platform Laboratory Information System is expected to significantly improve operational efficiency by enabling remote access, reducing hardware and maintenance costs, and accelerating software update cycles. The system aims to enhance user experience, ensure high system availability, and support rapid feature enhancements, ultimately leading to improved specimen processing throughput and better quality assurance in laboratory operations.